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Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85260
03/18/06 09:32 PM
03/18/06 09:32 PM
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Hernando, MS - USA
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Ellen,
From reading past post, I know that posting once again was painful and brought up memories afresh for you. I do thank you for doing it though. There was a post (Bait Shop Crickets) sometime ago that went into the danger of aflatoxin poisoning from feeding crickets, not just from bait shops but anywhere. If I'm not mistaken, you posted in that thread about your experience with crickets and it was a much longer post. At the time I was feeding Stryder live crickets and I also had a jar of freeze dried crickets. After reading that thread about crickets, I decided then and there that they would no longer be part of Stryder's diet. Now I know that a lot of people feed their glider's crickets and will continue to do so - it's a personal decision just as the diet they decide to use. For Stryder, crickets will remain off the menu because I have no way of knowing where they started out, what they have eaten, the bedding that was used, or whether they are the offspring of contaminated crickets (DNA). Too many unknowns for me to take a chance with one little helpless creature that does love crickets.

Once again, thanks for sharing.


Becky
Guardian of Stryder,
my Grandson's Sugar Glider
Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85261
03/19/06 02:40 AM
03/19/06 02:40 AM
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 7,603
Virginia Beach, VA.
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Thank you. It is a very sensitive subject for me but will continue to persure it.

Our gliders are not WILD. They have been domestcated and are not able to pick and choose what is healthy or not. They depend on US.

Thank you again for understanding and responding.


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Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85262
03/19/06 06:18 AM
03/19/06 06:18 AM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,659
Wallis Texas
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We had a similar bout with aflatoxins and lost three gliders before finding out the cause. They got aflatoxin from eating peanuts as treats. The peanuts were shelled, unsalted, raw 'human grade' peanuts purchased at one of the leading grocery stores. The vets we had working on this project didn't just fall off a turnip truck. They are some of the best exotic vets you will find.

Shawna (US Mom) recently lost a rescue glider that was diagnosed with having aflatoxin poisoning. Her vet thinks it was from being induced over a long period of time just a little at a time. This is a new line of thought for me and I would be very interested in finding out more about whether the aflatoxin can actually build up in the gliders liver over an extended period. So much to learn.
Charlie H


Rescue & Rehabilation
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Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85263
03/19/06 10:41 AM
03/19/06 10:41 AM

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Oh, thank you Ellen for posting to this thread. It means a lot to me and to us. I was hoping you would, and you did, and sharing your experience is invaluable!

Thank you, too, Charlie! There certainly is so much to discover!

I was always wondering how they identified aflatoxin poisoning in such a case.

So then is that the conclusion? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nixweiss.gif" alt="" /> The herps have some sort of tolerance to the aflatoxin and thus haven't died from it? What other possibilities exist that haven't been mentioned or explored in this thread already?

Mikey <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dance.gif" alt="" />

Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85264
03/19/06 01:04 PM
03/19/06 01:04 PM
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80 acres of paradise in KS
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It has been well documented the risk of aflatoxins to gliders as unfortunately, to many have lost their lives to them.

As for the herp world, perhaps a discussion on a herp board would prove more productive to your quest for understanding how herps react or don't react to aflatoxins?


620-704-9109
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But I'd of had to miss the dance


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Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85265
03/19/06 01:38 PM
03/19/06 01:38 PM

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Well, Dancing as good ol' Bourbon once said,

"To understand the wheel, you can't look at the wheel as a whole. You must examine the spokes..."

This herp issue is a spoke in the whole picture. Seems the fact that these herps aren't dying from the same crickets we are feeding our gliders (that may be contaminated with aflatoxin) is something that could be perceived as contrary to what has become and been accepted as common knowledge here in the glider community.

To have a better and thorough understanding of gliders, it's always good to have an understanding of other animals, their biology, how they fit into the scheme of things, the spokes ( <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> right B?) and to me the fact that the thousands of herps over many, many years (longer than we've had gliders in captivity here in N.A.) haven't died from the same crickets we feed our gliders is alarming and something that strikes me as peculiar.

Doesn't it, you? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nixweiss.gif" alt="" />

Mikey <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dance.gif" alt="" />

Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85266
03/19/06 02:20 PM
03/19/06 02:20 PM
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Hernando, MS - USA
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</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
Shawna (US Mom) recently lost a rescue glider that was diagnosed with having aflatoxin poisoning. Her vet thinks it was from being induced over a long period of time just a little at a time. This is a new line of thought for me and I would be very interested in finding out more about whether the aflatoxin can actually build up in the gliders liver over an extended period. So much to learn.
Charlie H

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">
Since it was one of Shawna's rescues there's no way to backtrack to see what it was fed, is there?


Becky
Guardian of Stryder,
my Grandson's Sugar Glider
Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85267
03/19/06 02:51 PM
03/19/06 02:51 PM

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I've been watching this thread closely... I'm wondering if perhaps since aflatoxin is ubiquitious (according to Schlep I believe) that perhaps the herps have a develped a resistence to it from repeated exposures to it over time, exposures that perhaps gliders didn't have for one reason or another...

another possibility from my point of view is simply that herps handle the toxin differently - might have an enzyme/catalyst that allows them to safely de-toxify it without it being processed in the liver, which we know is where gliders deal with it

Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85268
03/19/06 03:22 PM
03/19/06 03:22 PM
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 7,603
Virginia Beach, VA.
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In answer to the build up of the toxin, yes that is true from what the Toxicologist have said that it can take a while to build up and then just one more insult to the liver and they die. That is why I don't feed extra protien as I don't know how badly the others liver's are and won't take a chance.

As in many articles and phone calls to many different places about this they all say the same thing. One thing is that if one peanut or bug or whatever can carry the toxin is really infested with Aflatoxin it can only take that one to kill them.

But it is thought that most of the time it is a build up over a period of time and then as I said the liver can take no more injuries.

I don't know that we can compare in anyway gliders and other speices as this toxin is so vile and ugly that we don't know how much it really takes to go over the line.

I have been told that human consumtion is graded on <20 ppb.

And what they deem acceptible for animals is more like <60ppb. The Ball Instutute which is a HUGE place and cares for live stock as well as other large animals black or red light their food as it comes down the shoot to be taken out to the fields and will not accept anything that does go over the <60ppb. Now to be that says something.

So imigine a little glider taking in even <20ppb's what would happen?


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Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85269
03/19/06 03:32 PM
03/19/06 03:32 PM
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 7,354
Lexington, KY
Lucy Offline
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Actually, aflatoxins came to our attention here first of all from a Herp board. A very well written article on bearded dragons or geckos being lost to aflatoxins was on a herp board and was cross posted here. I don't know if it's still in the archives. This certainly isn't just a glider problem. But it is very real, and has wiped out whole colonies of gliders. In fact, about 12 PEOPLE a year die from aflatoxin poisoning -- primarily from aflatoxins found mold on peanuts.



Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85270
03/19/06 04:09 PM
03/19/06 04:09 PM

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Hi guys, I've been doing some research on the chemical properties of Aflatoxins and ways to destroying it. Going past the chemical and radioactive methods, I saw some research on using microwaves as a means to destroy Aflatoxins both in its purified form and in peanuts and corn. Here's the abstract from the paper from PubMed:

Aflatoxin destruction by microwave heating.

Farag RS, Rashed MM, Abo Hgger AA.

Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Egypt.

Microwaves were used in the present work in order to destroy pure aflatoxins (model system), and yellow corn and peanuts containing aflatoxins (food system). Pure aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1 and G2) were individually coated on a silica gel and exposed to microwaves at various power settings and periods. The same technique was adopted for peanuts and yellow corn deliberately infected by Aspergillus flavus. The aflatoxins were extracted, fractionated by thin-layer chromatographic technique and quantitatively determined by spectrodensitometry. In all cases, the content of different aflatoxins in the deliberately infected yellow corn was in the decreasing order B1 = G1 > B2 > G2. Infected peanuts were characterized by the highest B1 level, being approximately 3, 2, and 4.4 times as great as that in B2, G1 and G2, respectively. The rate of aflatoxin destruction of model and food systems increased with the increase of microwave oven power setting (low, moderate and high) and exposure time to microwaves.

PMID: 8735774 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

If you keep searching around, you'll find that microwaving is an effective method to destroy aflatoxins present in corn and peanuts. Just try entering "Aflatoxins destruction microwave peanuts (or corn)" in Google. I'm sure microwaving the cricket bedding you use and getting the online cricket stores to microwave their's will help.

That is, if the crickets don't mind eating microwaved bedding. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nixweiss.gif" alt="" />

Just throwing this out there.

Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85271
03/19/06 04:13 PM
03/19/06 04:13 PM

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Oh and before you go microwaving everything you feed your suggies, you should do some research first. I found some studies where aflatoxins levels in several different spices do NOT change with microwaving. Turns out they are chemically stable in spices, especially Chili powder. Not really pertinent, I mean how many owners out there feed their suggies Stagg chili or whatever <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worried2.gif" alt="" />, but just an example.

Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85272
03/19/06 06:45 PM
03/19/06 06:45 PM
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 7,603
Virginia Beach, VA.
Ellen Offline
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I sure would love to see a cricket microwaved LOL. The problems with cricket and bugs and MOST of all crickets is that the toxin binds with their DNA. You can't kill that with anything. Even serving a dead one.

I have read that article and thanks for posting it. But remember when you microwave veggies you are also taking some neutients out of them.

I feed corn that has has been frozen and in the frozen section isle of the market. Freezing will not kill the toxin but it is fit for for consumtion. I buy the mixed veggies.

I feed no nuts as they can be infected to some small extent. ANY nuts even though they have them for human consuption. Thank goodness for Cheerios.

If you google Aflatoxin you will come up with many sites that are very interesting. But remember most are talking about large animals or humans. We are dealing with little tiny critters, so while you are reading remember this.


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Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85273
03/19/06 07:04 PM
03/19/06 07:04 PM

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I have no intention of feeding crickets, but was curious...

Do you think the the aflatoxin, once binding with a cricket's DNA, can be passed on? Or would each individual cricket have to ingest the toxin itself?

So for those gliders that love crickets, could the owners possibly purchase crickets (knowing there is always some risk of them having the aflatoxin), but breed them and only feed the babies of those crickets? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nixweiss.gif" alt="" />

Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85274
03/19/06 10:12 PM
03/19/06 10:12 PM
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Hernando, MS - USA
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krispifsu,

Below is a quote from another thread in regard to crickets and aflatoxin. I could be wrong, but my understanding is that once the aflatoxin is in the DNA of a cricket, it could be passed on to the following generations of crickets regardless of what they are fed or bedded in. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.


Quote:

I thought about that, too, at one point...

Well, I have heard a lot about alfatoxins since being around these boards, and one of the things I learned from Ellen was that the alfatoxins actually combine with the crickets' very DNA, and will incorporate itself into the chromosomes, much like many viruses will!

Now, I don't know if that includes the cells of the gonads of the insects (organs producing sperm and eggs) or other reproduction-involved tissues, but if it does, then perhaps the alfatoxins are still a danger in subsequent offspring, as well. Who knows...

It's source is a fungus, and I don't know the species' properties, but if its spores can embed itself in tissues or within cells of the animal and lay dormant or even activate within the host organism, then who is to say that it cannot be passed onto the eggs or even from individual to individual, like an insect STD.

Some people say it's better safe than sorry and choose not to feed bugs at all.

Mikey

--------------------
"Oh Lord, they do try hard to make me feel that I don't matter at all, but I refuse to falter in what I believe and lose faith in my dreams 'cause there's a light in me that shines brightly..." (Mariah Carey)

www.MIKEYBUSTOS.ca


Becky
Guardian of Stryder,
my Grandson's Sugar Glider
Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85275
03/20/06 12:13 AM
03/20/06 12:13 AM
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 7,603
Virginia Beach, VA.
Ellen Offline
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The DNA will not be passed on. But again, it depends on how they are bread and kept. I have stated before about the amount of mostiure and such to cause this to happen. So unless you have a PERFECT thermomter to gage the moisture in the crickets bedding then you don't know what is going on.

Bottom line, why feed them if there is one chance in a million that the babies could be injured.


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Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85276
03/20/06 12:54 AM
03/20/06 12:54 AM

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As I understand Aflatoxin (and many other toxins also have both high and low dose risks), both a large load in one mean can be fatal, or small amounts over a long period of time can do different damage. Those two types of exposure do their damage in different ways.

My point earlier in this thread was that frozen corn does not seem like the kind of risk that one should be afraid of. Aflatoxin really is everywhere, but in negligable amounts.

I do have a question for those who have lost gliders to aflatoxin as a point of learning. I am not trying to be argumentative or doubt that aflatoxin is nasty. But I was wondering how the veterinarian made the diagnosis. Charlie mentioned that his veterinarian was very experienced at exotics. I'm sure others have great veterinarians, too. But what did they do to make the diagnosis? A specific blood test? Serologic markers? Liver histopathology? I was just wondering what was used to determine that cause of death. I would be really curious. Thanks.

Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85277
03/20/06 01:51 AM
03/20/06 01:51 AM
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Virginia Beach, VA.
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As I posted before in the necropsy that was a huge differene and when it went to DR. Regar at A&M and the other pathologist there was NO doubt. There was a specic form of the liver and the forum of the liver, IF you have ever seen an Aflatoin liver you would see at once what is happing. Then to send it off for H&P and to have it confired should be the answer. I took it many steps forward and contcated the the US most edcudecated folks I coudl find reguarding this issue. Please feel free to contcat them. I have listed them in the above post.

This is so painful for me as I wake up each morning and not know what I will find

I URGE each of you to do researach on the horrible toxin.

I will keep posting but it wiil be with great sorry and loss.

So ask away and do your homework first.

My baybies are gone and I still don'tknow how many I will loose. But due to diet I hope I can save them.


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Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85278
03/20/06 04:42 AM
03/20/06 04:42 AM

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Quote:

I thought about that, too, at one point...

Well, I have heard a lot about alfatoxins since being around these boards, and one of the things I learned from Ellen was that the alfatoxins actually combine with the crickets' very DNA, and will incorporate itself into the chromosomes, much like many viruses will!

Now, I don't know if that includes the cells of the gonads of the insects (organs producing sperm and eggs) or other reproduction-involved tissues, but if it does, then perhaps the alfatoxins are still a danger in subsequent offspring, as well. Who knows...


Aflatoxins will chemically bind to DNA but that doesnt mean that it incorporates itself into the organism's genome to be passed onto its offspring. Keep in mind that animals begin life as single cells from mating which combines the DNA from both parents. As the offspring develops from this single cell, DNA polymerases will copy the genomic DNA during cell mitosis but has no means of copying and incorporating the aflatoxins into the resulting daughter cells. As such, if aflatoxins were inherited from parents ONLY genetically then only 1 of the millions of cells that make up a cricket would have aflatoxins. However, it is still possible that amounts of aflatoxins may be passed onto offspring through extracellular means. Given the amount of development completely independent of the parent cricket (from the egg onward) I wouldn't expect much to pass on. HOWEVER, it is shown that the spores from the mold that cause aflatoxins can be passed on from contaminated cricket's mouths as they feed on corn. So, if one cricket is contaminated with spores from the mold, it is very possible that the spores will spread more mold on the shared feed with other crickets, resulting in the spread of aflatoxins throughout the cricket colony.

Probably the safest reasonable means of having aflatoxin-free crickets would be growing up a colony of crickets from the same generation under conditions that result in very little mold growth on their feed. i.e. fresh food, changing bedding often, good humidity, etc. Previously, I stated that microwaving the bedding would destroy any aflatoxins present. If you would grow crickets up on such a clean bedding and change it often, I would suspect you'd have safe crickets to feed your suggies.

It is my opinion that aflatoxin problems in crickets is largely environmental and dependent on the merchant's growing conditions for his crickets. Of course I wouldn't trust buying crickets from a petstore that has old moldy veggies lying on the bottom of their cricket bin. Even if the bin looks clean who's to say what used to be in there. As I mentioned before, the spores for the mold can be spread by the cricket's mouths. What I would do is buy from a reputable online vendor who specializes in selling live insects for pets to eat. I would definitely stick to one vendor that I trust and buy consistently from him, as opposed to running out of crickets and going on a quick cricket run to the local petshop while my new batch comes in the mail. I mean, I'm sure there are people who've been consistently buying crickets in bulk from their favorite vendor for years without a problem. I say keep buying, if anything feed fewer crickets per week and more mealworms if you're afraid of toxicity. It's my opinion that if you have realistically safe crickets to feed, its worth the risk to have some variety in your sugar glider's diet. Look at Mad Cow Disease for example. Farmers in the US have prevented its spread largely by controlling the growing conditions and what they feed the cattle. It is still a threat, yet we choose to outweigh that risk with the reward of eating a juicy steak or burger every now and then.

I'm just giving my 2 cents, sorry if I offend anybody. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ohwell.gif" alt="" />

Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85279
03/20/06 08:24 AM
03/20/06 08:24 AM

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This is a picture of what Ellen is talking about with the affected liver tissues and the obvious differences of Aflatoxicosis vs. a healthy liver:
Aflatoxicosis Picture

Thank you Ellen for posting your info again for us, I have looked for it on several occassions, but could not find it....

Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85280
03/20/06 03:41 PM
03/20/06 03:41 PM
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 7,603
Virginia Beach, VA.
Ellen Offline
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I think I said this before LOl but will say it again. We ONLY bought our bugs from a very reputable "farm" and had used the same one for years. When we moved to VA BEACH I continued to use the same farm and that is when we started having problems. I ordered them through pet stores and they came just like they always did. So I don't trust anyone of the "bug" farms and have spoken to most if not all of them. After many conversations I found they were all getting their supply from and around the Delta basin. OH NO. Big no no. It seems they order and either have them shipped to them or send the boxes with their name on it and they are loaded at the farm and sent out.

Once I started asking questions about the moisture content in the bedding and the proper bedding I was told that the moisture content should not exceed 30% and no lower than 15% then I wondered how these farms were regulating this control. THEY WERENT!!! And when we tried to do it we could not find the proper thermomator (SP sorry) to gage what we had and got rid of all bug's. It has been 6 years since any of my little ones have had or seen a mealie or a cricket and they dont' seem to miss them at all. I have found other treats.

In my wildest of dreams did I ever think maintaing BUG's was so hard when you wanted to be safe. NO more for us and I just cringe when I hear gliders eating them. But that is still the pain in my heart and I don't ever want to go through that again.

Thanks for posting that picture. I had forgot all about it. I don't know what happened to my originial post about this. It could be that when we had that MAJOR crash it was lost. I will try and find it.


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Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85281
03/20/06 04:28 PM
03/20/06 04:28 PM

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i buy can of crickets at petco are they bad???? i keep them in the frig.. i didnt see a answer to this question and if someone already answered this i am sorry i did not see it....

Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85282
03/20/06 04:48 PM
03/20/06 04:48 PM
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Virginia Beach, VA.
Ellen Offline
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I only tried them one time and my gliders wouldn't eat them. But I know others feed them. Sorry, but if it has cricket on it I just don't use it.

I am sure someone will come along and answer you.


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Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85283
03/20/06 11:52 PM
03/20/06 11:52 PM

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It would not occur to me to buy because of the reputation of the supplier. Even the best hospitals occasionally get Staph outbreaks that come in from the patients from the outside (just like cricket bedding.) I would want the supplier to do ongoing analysis of the crickets and bedding to prove absence of aflatoxin. That is how our food is surveyed.

Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85284
03/21/06 12:07 AM
03/21/06 12:07 AM

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With the can o crickets you still need to watch for mold to grow in the can once it is opened. Even in the fridge you can get mold to grow. I only use the can for a few days in the fridge then toss it. I must say that I don't use crickets much anymore though, I am to worried about this toxin lol.

Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85285
03/21/06 02:34 AM
03/21/06 02:34 AM

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</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
aflatoxins came to our attention here first of all from a Herp board. A very well written article on bearded dragons or geckos being lost to aflatoxins was on a herp board and was cross posted here.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

This was exactly what I was looking for! Thank you, Lucy. For some reason I could find nothing (reliable) online regarding herps dying from aflatoxin-contaminated crickets (or was it from eating contaminated corn or corn-based products?). I wonder if that article is floating around somewhere. It's honestly the first time I've heard of any case, and would love to look into it further.

This aflatoxin issue is largely unfamiliar to me.

Mikey <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dance.gif" alt="" />

Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85286
03/21/06 03:10 AM
03/21/06 03:10 AM

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Also...

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
Aflatoxins will chemically bind to DNA but that doesnt mean that it incorporates itself into the organism's genome to be passed onto its offspring. Keep in mind that animals begin life as single cells from mating which combines the DNA from both parents. As the offspring develops from this single cell, DNA polymerases will copy the genomic DNA during cell mitosis but has no means of copying and incorporating the aflatoxins into the resulting daughter cells. As such, if aflatoxins were inherited from parents ONLY genetically then only 1 of the millions of cells that make up a cricket would have aflatoxins.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

The quote you were responding to was one that I'd posted awhile back, in light of what I'd been randomly told regarding the incorporation of the aflatoxin or fungus into the cricket's DNA. Being unsure as to the properties of this potent toxin/fungus, I proposed the hypothetical situation where the toxin/fungus perhaps functioned like a virus, and looking back now, I believe I was randomly thinking more along the lines of endogenous retroviruses, incorporating itself into the genome and being able to be replicated during cellular mitosis/meiosis. Perhaps, I'd been reading an excess amount of Gregory Bear. LOL!

Mikey <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dance.gif" alt="" />

Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85287
03/21/06 07:43 AM
03/21/06 07:43 AM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,659
Wallis Texas
Charlie H Offline
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Charlie H  Offline
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,659
Wallis Texas
The aflatoxin is not a fungus but a toxin produced by mold spores. In simple language it is a poison that mold produces. The aflatoxin does not grow or expand but is produced by mold spores. It does spread to all areas of the infected host.

I do not recall exactly what procedure the vet used to determine that our gliders died from aflatoxin poisioning. I do know they analyzed samples from the liver. As I recall there are several toxins that can be confused with aflatoxin and it is difficult to detect unless the vet is looking for aflatoxins in particular and has the expertise to identify what he finds.

US Mom (Shawna) had a glider that recently died from aflatoxins. Her vet is currently working on research with aflatoxins along with Texas A&M. I am sure he would be willing to discuss his findings with other professionals.

As far as microwaving or heating food to reduce the risk of aflatoxins the problem is that the amount of heat and time required to reduce aflatoxin danger is so much that it renders the food impossible to eat. Heating or freezing are not viable options. And washing may help by removing the contamination on the surface but the toxin penetrates the food stuffs and so you really do not eliminate it.
Charlie H

Last edited by Charlie H; 03/21/06 07:49 AM.

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Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85288
03/21/06 12:13 PM
03/21/06 12:13 PM

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And for those interested in such things - alfatoxin does not work as suggested in an earlier post by slicing itself in DNA and then having itself replicated in progeny. It attaches to the DNA base pairs, and increases the possibility of mistakes in transcription and translation of DNA, RNA and proteins. The body often sees and fixes the altered DNA base (DNA adducts), and those cleaned out are found in urine as evidence of oxidative stress to the DNA. But not all are found and fixed before damage is done.

DNA is like a zipper, and the two chains hook together. There are 4 bases that make up the backbone of the chain. Each has a specific one of the others it hooks up with on the other chain. When the toxin attaches to the base, it changes the shape and thus how the other chain attach es. DNA and RNA are copied by unzipping the zipper, and having the missing side copied onto the remaining one. You wind up with two "zippers." The opposite side chain is made from the remaining piece. The toxin helps cause errors in replication, which changes proteins, etc.

Re: aflatoxin in crickets? [Re: ] #85289
03/21/06 08:35 PM
03/21/06 08:35 PM

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Thermal inactivation would be very hard as the melting point of aflatoxin is around 300 degrees celcius or so, a temperature that would pretty much combust the corn or peanuts youre trying to clean. Microwaving though is a better alternative as it doesnt destroy the food youre trying to clean. The study I read was successful in destroying aflatoxins in nuts and corn by microwaving on high for 10 minutes. I've cooked corn on the cobb in the microwave and it hardly destroys the corn.

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