Correlative Studies between Quantitative and Biological Estimations of Aflatoxins Extracted from Cattle Feeds and their Ingredients of Gujarat State

Abstract

The study was carried out to estimate the biologically positive samples quantitatively for their crude aflatoxins content on Beckman DU-2 spectrophotometer by using standard mixture of aflatoxins (B, B, G, and G.) procured from V. P. Chest Institute, New Delhi. It was found that deoiled Sheria Hibiscus cannabinus, Linn.) cake had the minimum aflatoxin content (0-05 ppm.) while banti (Echinochloa stagmina, Beaur.) a cereal grain had the maximum of the toxin content (5-44 ppm.).An attempt was made to calculate the amount of the crude aflatoxins as per the suggestion of Robertson, Pons and Goldblutt (1967). It was observed that the calculated quantitative values obtained by this method of each of the samples were comparatively higher than the spectrophotometric method. The general range (calculated) by this method was found to be 0-07 to 7-31 ppm.The correlations were worked out between the concentrations of the aflatoxins (ppm) of both the methods with the zone of inhibition of bacterial growth (diameter in cm). It was observed that both the correlations (i) spectro-photometric concentration of aflatoxin and zone of inhibition (0-967**) and (ii) Robertson et al (1967) method concentration and the zone of inhibition (0-798**) were statisti-cally significant (P20-01). These results thereby suggests that zone of inhibition can be used for approximate quantitative estimations, when the costlier equipment like Beckman DU-2 spectrophotometer is not available.