penaeus monodon - Cochin University of Science and Technology

PREFACE
The spectacular progress scaled by aquaculture of penaeid shrimps
has recently been put at risk by the dark clouds of disease manifestations.
The etiological agents of many shrimp diseases in culture operations remain
unknown. Diseases in shrimps can be caused by viral, bacterial or parasitic
infestation, and also by other factors related to culture environment and
feed. One such feed associated disease is established to be of mycotoxin
origin caused by fungal contamination of improperly stored feeds.
Aflatoxin, a toxic contaminant produced by toxigenic fungi of the
genus Aspergillus, during the processing and storage of feeds and feed
ingredients, can cause abnormalities such as poor growth, physiological
imbalances and histological changes that result in yield reduction and
profitability of shrimp culture. In humid tropical and semi-tropical
environments, the stored feeds in shrimp culture facilities are vulnerable to
production of aflatoxins due to the prevalance of favourable conditions for
fungal growth.
Very limited work on the potentiating factors of aflatoxicosis has
been carried out. In the aquatic system, the animals are exposed to a wide
variety of pathogens, pollutants, pesticides and stress factors. A diseased
condition in an animal is the end result of not only one but the culmination
of many factors. Hence the synergistic effects of two or many etiological
agents can bring out toxicity in an animal.
A colossal challenge presently is the detoxification of aflatoxin
contaminated foods and feeds as they can cause severe liver abnormalities in
the consumers. Hence, aflatoxin and major toxic metabolites enjoy
considerable importance due to their effect on human and animals health.
The present work is an attempt to elucidate the nutritional and
pathological changes associated with aflatoxicosis in P. monodon, and to