Original Articles Evaluation of b-d-Glucan Biopolymer as a Novel Mycotoxin Binder for Fumonisin and Deoxynivalenol in Soybean Feed Medhat A. El-Naggar 1,2 and Tamer M. Thabit 2,3 Abstract The walls of yeast cells, which contain b-d-glucan biopolymers, have an active role in reducing mycotoxins in animal feed. This study aimed to evaluate the b-d-glucan biopolymers as a mycotoxin binder for fumonisin (FUM) and deoxynivalenol (DON) toxins as well as their effect on the nutritional value of soybean, which is considered one of the important feed row materials. The evaluation was carried out using some toxigenic Fusarium isolates (Fusarium solani, F. oxysporum, and F. verticillioides) in vitro and in vivo. The FUM and DON levels were determined by immune affinity column. The F. verticillioides was the most toxigenic, followed by F. oxysporum and lastly F. solani, while secretion of DON toxin was determined to be greater than FUM with all the tested fungi. The effectiveness of b-d-glucan biopolymers on FUM and DON absorption was greater than clay and calcium propionate. In vivo, treating soybean seeds with b-d-glucan biopolymers led to reduction in the level of FUM and DON toxins in seeds artificially inoculated by F. verticillioides. b-d-glucan treatment also has a low effect on nutritional components of the seeds compared to untreated ones. In con- clusion, this study found a new approach to reduce Fusarium mycotoxins in feed to an allowable safe limit and at the same time maintaining the nutritional value of these materials. Introduction M ycotoxins are secondary metabolites of micro- scopic filamentous fungi. With regard to the wide- spread distribution of fungi in the environment, mycotoxins are considered to be one of the most important natural con- taminants in foods and feeds. To protect consumers’ health and reduce economic losses, surveillance and control of mycotoxins in food and feed has become a major objective for producers, regulatory authorities, and researchers world- wide. Filamentous fungi that cause molds can occur in many feedstuffs including grains and forages (Lacey, 1991; Russell et al., 1991; Beley et al., 2013). Mold fungi can infect animals, especially during stressful periods when they are immune suppressed, causing mycosis. Fungi also produce mycotoxins, which can cause a mycotox- icosis or toxic response in animals exposed primarily by consuming mycotoxin-contaminated feeds (Streit et al., 2012). Crops may be infected by fungi in the field and/or con- taminated at any point during handling. Generally, Asper- gillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium are considered among the most important fungi in producing mycotoxins detrimental to animals (CAST, 2003; Farkas et al., 2011). The results of a 3-year mycotoxin survey reiterate the importance of mycotoxin testing prior to the feeding of ani- mals. From the 23,781 mycotoxin analyses, about 81% of samples were positive for at least 1 of the aflatoxins, such as zearalenone, fumonisin (FUM), deoxynivalenol (DON), and ochratoxin. Samples were sourced in the Americas, Europe, and Asia (Castella ´ et al., 1999; Rodrigues and Naehrer, 2012). Management of mycotoxins includes many strategies such as prevention, monitoring, avoidance, decontamination, de- toxification, and animal treatments (Hamilton, 1984; Whit- taker, 1991; Jouany, 2007). The use of mycotoxin binders, or adsorbents, may have the greatest application for routine avoidance of exposure to low levels of multiple mycotoxins. The use of adsorbents to prevent effects of mycotoxins has been actively researched for over 20 years. A number of binder products have been effective and offer one of the greatest potentials for pre- venting animal toxicity (Whitlow, 2005). There were many types of mycotoxin binders such as charcoal or activated carbon, silicate binders, and organic polymers as binders. The organic binders or biopolymers are complex indigestible carbohydrates (cellulose, polysaccharides in the cell walls of 1 Plant Pathology Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Giza, Egypt. 2 Research Center Laboratory, Grain Silos and Flour Mills Organization, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 3 Central Agriculture Pesticides Laboratory, Agriculture Research Center, Giza, Egypt. FOODBORNE PATHOGENS AND DISEASE Volume 11, Number 6, 2014 ª Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2013.1711 433