I think this started out about crickets. I think that is important to remember and address. Also we know that certain types or most type of nuts can carry this toxin.

CharRule, I would love to know where you got the 300 degrees from and what that refers to as how much of the disposal of AFLATOXIN is killed.

heres a quote from http://www.aflatoxin.info/ :

"Thermal inactivation

Thermal inactivation is a good alternative for products that are usually heat processed. However some of the mycotoxiins are chemically stable at processing temperatures. Aflatoxins are stable up to their melting point of around 250 degree C (Feuell 1966) and are not destroyed completely by boiling water, autoclaving, or a variety of food and feed processing procedures. Aflatoxins may be destroyed partially by oil and dry roasting of peanuts. However Stoloff reported that aflatoxins are generally stable in peanut materials at room temprature. Baur found no significant changes in levels of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 in peanut meals, or in raw and roasted peanut butter stored at 23 degree C for 2 years. Lutter and co workers reported that, alternative peanut roasting methods, ie., microwave roasting destroy afltoxins completely."

I know its not regarding crickets per se, but I found it to be a little difficult to find data on the success of microwaving crickets <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />. lol.

turns out that the actual temperature aflatoxins are stable up to was 250 degrees celcius (a little less than 500F) Some other studies that I have found (this one: http://www.bioline.org.br/request?jb04091 ) show data for significant decreases in toxin levels with treatments at temperatures of around 150 degrees C (about 300 degrees F) Something very doable in a home oven.


Something I stumbled accross also was the effectiveness of certain dietary supplements that help absorb and chemically inactivate mycotoxins (including aflatoxins) to reduce amounts absorbed gastrointestinally. Just throwing this out, but considering the sensitivity of sugar gliders to aflatoxins, might it be a good idea to incorporate these supplements in an everyday diet? Maybe somebody in the future could possibly start massproducing such a supplement...

from http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/docrep/X2100T/X2100t05.htm :

Chemical methods
Thermal treatment plus reducing sugars: of fumonisins - promising but toxicology and stability uncertain.
Nixtamalization/alkaline hydrolysis: reversible degradation of aflatoxins and partial degradation of fumonisins, but toxicity remains - not an effective method for detoxification of fumonisins or aflatoxin; reduced zearalenone and deoxynivalenol.
Bisulphite: destroys aflatoxin B1, reduces deoxynivalenol in maize - bisulphite is a common food additive (the DON sulphonate is unstable in alkali).
Ammoniation: approved method for aflatoxin in maize in Mexico, South Africa and several states in the United States - may not be effective in detoxifying fumonisins in maize.
Hydrogen peroxide/sodium bicarbonate: destroys fumonisin in maize.
Ozonation: degrades and detoxifies aflatoxins in naturally contaminated maize - promising.
Hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicates: bind aflatoxins with high affinity and capacity - demonstrated efficacy in vivo when added to diets; non-selective aluminosilicates may pose significant risks and should be avoided (Mayura et al., 1998).
Activated charcoal: reduces dietary conversion of aflatoxin B1 to aflatoxin M1 in cows.

I quickly ran accross this http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/aflatoxin/aflatoxin.html#Aflatoxicosis and thought it would give a good start as to how powerful this toxin can be on animals. It is a rather simple article but one worth reading.

I don't think most folks know how deadly this fungus (toxin) really is.

Yeah, I agree. Most of the articles I've been trying to find are related to research utilizing mouse or rat models of aflatoxin toxicosis as they are very sensitive to the toxin and there is just so little information out there regarding sugar gliders (relatively). Humans display MUCH greater resistence to the toxin than do smaller animals and as such are bad models for sugar gliders. Of course no owner on this forum would donate one of his gliders to aflatoxin research (and I hope they wouldn't) so I figure any data and results regarding mice or rats would be most helpful.

Actualy, some zoo gliders are being tested. It's just not real public. I could never do it.

But the real thing is just one bad cricket can do that glider in.

Also peanuts and all that we have talked about. The REAL problem with crickets is that the toxin BINDS with the DNA of the cricket and there is no way of killing that toxin.

It seems to all start in the bedding. And the scary thing is that a nurseing Mom can pass it on. I only found this out in the last mounth after still reserching.

The toxin doesn't have to bind to the cricket DNA to do harm. (It might be helpful to have the toxin bind to something other than the glider DNA.) A cricket dusted with toxin, or gut loaded with toxin could do the glider harm. Binding to the glider's hepatocyte (liver cell) DNA is the problem.

The fact that the body clears DNA bases bound with toxin (DNA adducts) and that they are measurable in the urine as excreted waste would make one believe that the DNA-toxin bond is not easily broken once created. Clearly no heat, chemical, etc. can damage the already-bound toxin without hurting the animal's live hepatocyte. diet prevention has to be the key, as treatment after the fact is wanting.