OZONE (O3) DEGRADATION POTENTIAL OF AFLATOXIN IN GROUNDNUT SEEDS, GROUNDNUT REJECT MEAL

ABSTRACT

The existence of a very important group of mycotoxins called Aflatoxins limits the utilization of groundnut and groundnut by-products. This evaluate the effect of Ozone (O3) treatment of Groundnut seeds, Groundnut Reject Meal (GRM) and Groundnut Skin Meal (GSM) on their aflatoxin levels and proximate compositions and investigate the utilization of the Ozone-treated GRM and GSM by growing Rabbits. The study was divided into four (4) Experiments. Experiment One determined the aflatoxin concentration, proximate compositions, as well as Calcium and Phosphorus concentrations in untreated and Ozone-treated GRM and GSM at 2-, 4-, and 6-hours exposure times. In Experiment Two and Three, twenty-four apparently healthy Rabbits were randomly allocated to Diets containing Ozone-treated GRM and GSM as partial replacements for Soyabean Meal and Wheat Offal, respectively at 0, 25, 50, and 75% in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with six (6) replicates. In Experiment Four, the best two diets of GRM and the best two of GSM replacement levels (on growth performance basis) from Experiments Two and Three were pooled together to investigate the combined utilization of the two test feed resources via a feeding trial. Negative Control (NC) Treatments in addition to Combined Treatments (CT) were used in Experiment four. Growth performance, carcass characteristics, and blood parameters data obtained in all the Experiments were subjected to One Way Analysis of Variance, and Significant means were separated using Duncan Multiple Range Test.