| Abstract: | Ergosterol was determined as a chemical indicator of fungal biomass in commodities which were used for the production of mixed feeds. It was found in all samples of each of the following components (content in mg/kg DM): Wheat (2.6 +/- 1.0), low grade wheat flour (fibre less than or equal to 3.5%) (17.3 +/- 9.1), wheat semolina bran (fibre less than or equal to 10%) (29.4 +/- 16.8), wheat bran (35.2 +/- 9.4), grain corn (1.0 +/- 0.6), corn gluten feed (7.8 +/- 3.0), corn gluten (10.3 +/- 5.0), maize germ meal (8.0 +/- 2.0), barley (3.1 +/- 1.1), malt sprouts (40.6 +/- 15.9), broad beans (0.6 +/- 0.3), peas (summer varieties, white flowering) (2.2 +/- 1.0), soya flakes (2.2 +/- 0.9), soya meal (1.1 +/- 0.7), sunflower meal (5.0 +/- 2.4), copra meal/expeller (9.1 +/- 1.6), palm kernel meal (12.6 +/- 11.0), rapeseed meal (2.6 +/- 0.8), linseed meal (3.2 +/- 1.6), manioc meal (8.3 +/- 2.7), beet pulp, dried (1.6 +/- 0.3), beet pulp with molasses (2.2 +/- 0.9), alfalfa meal (37.8 +/- 10.4), grass meal (62.4 +/- 37.0). Ergosterol was not found in molasses, citrus pulp, carcass meal, meat-and-bone-meal, skim milk powder, whey powder, fish meal (2 of 3 samples), mineral components, vitamin mixtures and other additives. Differences in ergosterol contents are discussed. With four mixed feeds it was demonstrated that the ergosterol content determined chemically in the mixture is in good accordance with the value calculated from the ergosterol content of the components and their percentage in the mixture. |
