Abstract

Aflatoxins and heavy metals  were investigated in some poultry feed samples used as starter, grower, developer, layer, rabbit feed and bran which obtained from the local market at Al-Qassim region, Saudi Arabia.  The results indicated that different amounts of aflatoxins were found in the analyzed samples.  They reached peak values of 70.6, 46.38 and 50.88 µg/ kg sample for aflatoxin B1, G1, and G2, respectively, however aflatoxin B2  was generally less than 2.0 µg/ kg. The study showed that the levels of aflatoxins were generally below the permissible levels (100 - 200 µg/ kg). The results, also indicated that different levels of lead, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, nickel, zinc, manganese, iron and copper were detected in all samples. They ranged from 0.10 - 3.21, 0.004 -0.249, 0.14 - 1.82, 4.57 - 37.6, 9.77 - 42.93, 0.51 - 55.38,  0.43 - 10.20,  3.78 - 5.18, and 0.45 - 3.26 mg/ kg for lead, cadmium, cobalt, zinc, manganese, iron, copper, chromium and nickel, respectively. The high levels of zinc, copper, manganese and iron may reflecting the deliberate addition of these metals to meet animal nutrient requirements. Cadmium levels were less than the permissible limit of 0.5 mg/ kg in US feeds. Lead levels in most feed sample exceeded the permissible limit of  < 1 mg/ kg in UK. However, they lower than the allowed lead content in feed ingredients according to the current official regulations (10 mg/ kg). 

Key words: Aflatoxin, heavy metals, feeds, poultry, monitoring.