MYCOLOGICAL SURVEY OF BAJRA KARBI (PENISETUM TYPHOIDES [BURMF.] S&H) COMMONLY USED FODDER IN RELATION TO POSSIBLE HEALTH HAZARDS

Abstract

Fungi constituting the mycoflora are universally distributed in nature. They are the plants without leaves, chlorophyll they can`t perform photosynthetic activity. As such they are not able to make their own food, which they have to obtain from living or dead tissues and simultaneously produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites called mycotoxins. Considerable amount of work on moulds and their ill effects on food and feed crops have also been undertaken in India. About a dozen mycotoxins are known to be elaborated by different moulds contaminating various foods and feeds. The toxic effects of fungal toxins on man and animal arise from the ingestion of food and feed stuff contaminated by them.