Effects of moldy corn on the performance, antioxidant capacity, immune function, metabolism and residues of mycotoxins in eggs, muscle, and edible viscera of laying hens

The mitigative role of novel aflatoxin-degrading enzymes in diverse broiler performance indicators and gut microbiota following the consumption of diets contaminated with aflatoxins

BACKGROUND

This study aims to explore both the toxic effects of aflatoxins (AFs) and the protective effects of degrading enzymes (DE) on broilers exposed to AFs.

RESULTS

The findings reveal that a diet contaminated with 69.15 μg kg-1 of aflatoxin B1 had significant adverse effects on broilers. Specifically, it led to a reduction in average daily gain, dressed yield percentage, half-eviscerated yield with giblet yield percentage, eviscerated yield percentage, as well as serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase activity and liver SOD activity (P < 0.05). Conversely, the diet increased the feed conversion ratio, liver index, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase levels and malondialdehyde levels in both serum and liver (P < 0.05). Additionally, AFs disrupted the intestinal microflora significantly (P < 0.05), altering the relative abundance of Enterococcus, Lactobacillus and Escherichia in broiler jejunum. The addition of DE to AF-contaminated feed mitigated these negative effects and reduced the residues of aflatoxin B1, aflatoxin B2 and aflatoxin M1 in the liver and duodenum (P < 0.05). We also observed that broilers fed the diet pelleted at 80 °C exhibited improved dressing percentage and water holding capacity compared to those on the 75 °C diet.

CONCLUSION

In summary, DE serves as an effective feed additive for mitigating AF contamination in poultry production. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Yeast Cell Wall Extract Supple-Mentation during Mycotoxin Challenges on the Performance of Laying Hens

A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the effect of mycotoxins (MT) without or with the inclusion of yeast cell wall extract (YCWE, Mycosorb®, Alltech, Inc., Nicholasville, KY, USA) on laying hen performance. A total of 25 trials were collected from a literature search, and data were extracted from 8 of these that met inclusion criteria, for a total of 12 treatments and 1774 birds. Laying hens fed MT had lower (p < 0.05) body weight (BW) by -50 g, egg production by -6.3 percentage points, and egg weight by -1.95 g than control fed hens (CTRL). Inclusion of YCWE during the mycotoxin challenges (YCWE + MT) resulted in numerically greater (p = 0.441) BW by 12.5 g, while egg production and egg weight were significantly (p < 0.0001) higher by 4.2 percentage points and 1.37 g, respectively. Furthermore, economic assessment calculations indicated that YCWE may not only support hen performance but also resulted in a positive return on investment. In conclusion, mycotoxins can play a role in negatively impacting laying hen performance and profitability. Inclusion of YCWE in feed with mycotoxin challenges provided benefits to egg production and egg weight and may support profitability. As such, the inclusion of YCWE could play an important role in minimizing mycotoxin effects and in turn aid farm efficiency and profitability.

Toxicity, biodegradation, and nutritional intervention mechanism of zearalenone

Zearalenone (ZEA), a global mycotoxin commonly found in a variety of grain products and animal feed, causes damage to the gastrointestinal tract, immune organs, liver and reproductive system. Many treatments, including physical, chemical and biological methods, have been reported for the degradation of ZEA. Each degradation method has different degradation efficacies and distinct mechanisms. In this article, the global pollution status, hazard and toxicity of ZEA are summarized. We also review the biological detoxification methods and nutritional regulation strategies for alleviating the toxicity of ZEA. Moreover, we discuss the molecular detoxification mechanism of ZEA to help explore more efficient detoxification methods to better reduce the global pollution and hazard of ZEA.

Turmeric Powder Counteracts Oxidative Stress and Reduces AFB1 Content in the Liver of Broilers Exposed to the EU Maximum Levels of the Mycotoxin

The most frequent adverse effects of AFB1 in chicken are low performance, the depression of the immune system, and a reduced quality of both eggs and meat, leading to economic losses. Since oxidative stress plays a major role in AFB1 toxicity, natural products are increasingly being used as an alternative to mineral binders to tackle AFB1 toxicosis in farm animals. In this study, an in vivo trial was performed by exposing broilers for 10 days to AFB1 at dietary concentrations approaching the maximum limits set by the EU (0.02 mg/kg feed) in the presence or absence of turmeric powder (TP) (included in the feed at 400 mg/kg). The aims were to evaluate (i) the effects of AFB1 on lipid peroxidation, antioxidant parameters, histology, and the expression of drug transporters and biotransformation enzymes in the liver; (ii) the hepatic accumulation of AFB1 and its main metabolites (assessed using an in-house-validated HPLC-FLD method); (iii) the possible modulation of the above parameters elicited by TP. Broilers exposed to AFB1 alone displayed a significant increase in lipid peroxidation in the liver, which was completely reverted by the concomitant administration of TP. Although no changes in glutathione levels and antioxidant enzyme activities were detected in any treatment group, AFB1 significantly upregulated and downregulated the mRNA expression of CYP2A6 and Nrf2, respectively. TP counteracted such negative effects and increased the hepatic gene expression of selected antioxidant enzymes (i.e., CAT and SOD2) and drug transporters (i.e., ABCG2), which were further enhanced in combination with AFB1. Moreover, both AFB1 and TP increased the mRNA levels of ABCC2 and ABCG2 in the duodenum. The latter changes might be implicated in the decrease in hepatic AFB1 to undetectable levels ( Collapse

Key Words

• aflatoxin B1
• chicken
• curcumin
• drug transporters
• drug-metabolizing enzymes
• liver
• oxidative stress
• turmeric powder

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MESH Headings

• Animals
• Antioxidants/pharmacology
• Antioxidants/metabolism
• Chickens/metabolism
• Curcuma/metabolism
• Powders/metabolism
• Powders/pharmacology
• Mycotoxins/metabolism
• Aflatoxin B1/metabolism
• Liver
• Oxidative Stress
• RNA, Messenger/metabolism

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Grants

• 678781 European Union

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Affiliation(s)

Neenu Amminikutty Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy; (N.A.); (V.S.); (W.J.); (P.B.); (M.T.C.); (E.C.); (A.S.); (F.G.)
Veronica Spalenza Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy; (N.A.); (V.S.); (W.J.); (P.B.); (M.T.C.); (E.C.); (A.S.); (F.G.)
Watanya Jarriyawattanachaikul Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy; (N.A.); (V.S.); (W.J.); (P.B.); (M.T.C.); (E.C.); (A.S.); (F.G.)
Paola Badino Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy; (N.A.); (V.S.); (W.J.); (P.B.); (M.T.C.); (E.C.); (A.S.); (F.G.)
Maria Teresa Capucchio Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy; (N.A.); (V.S.); (W.J.); (P.B.); (M.T.C.); (E.C.); (A.S.); (F.G.)
Elena Colombino Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy; (N.A.); (V.S.); (W.J.); (P.B.); (M.T.C.); (E.C.); (A.S.); (F.G.)
Achille Schiavone Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy; (N.A.); (V.S.); (W.J.); (P.B.); (M.T.C.); (E.C.); (A.S.); (F.G.)
Donato Greco Institute of Sciences of Food Production, Italian National Research Council, 70126 Bari, Italy; (D.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.)
Vito D’Ascanio Institute of Sciences of Food Production, Italian National Research Council, 70126 Bari, Italy; (D.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.)
Giuseppina Avantaggiato Institute of Sciences of Food Production, Italian National Research Council, 70126 Bari, Italy; (D.G.); (V.D.); (G.A.)
Sihem Dabbou Center Agriculture Food Environment (C3A), University of Trento, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, Italy;
Carlo Nebbia Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy; (N.A.); (V.S.); (W.J.); (P.B.); (M.T.C.); (E.C.); (A.S.); (F.G.)
Flavia Girolami Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy; (N.A.); (V.S.); (W.J.); (P.B.); (M.T.C.); (E.C.); (A.S.); (F.G.)

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An integrated mycotoxin-mitigating agent can effectively mitigate the combined toxicity of AFB1, DON and OTA on the production performance, liver and oviduct health in broiler breeder hens

This study was to evaluate the efficacy of an integrated mycotoxin-mitigating agent in reducing the adverse effects of co-occurring dietary aflatoxin B1 deoxynivalenol and ochratoxin A on broiler breeder hens. 360 30-week-old Hubbard Efficiency Plus broiler breeder hens were allocated into four groups and received a basal diet (BD; Control), BD added 0.15 mg/kg aflatoxin B1+1.5 mg/kg deoxynivalenol+0.12 mg/kg ochratoxin A (Toxins), BD plus Toxins with 0.1% TOXO-XL (Toxins + XL1), and BD plus Toxins with 0.2% TOXO-XL (Toxins + XL2), respectively, for 8 weeks, and then received the same BD for another 4 weeks. Compared with control, mycotoxins decreased total egg weigh, egg laying rate, settable eggs rate, hatch of total eggs rate, egg quality, but increased feed/egg ratio and mortality rate, and impaired the liver and oviduct health during weeks 1-8 and(or) 9-12. It also increased PC and MDA concentrations, TUNEL-positive cells and IL-1β and IL-6 expression, and decreased T-AOC, GPX and CAT activities in liver and/or oviduct. Notably, most of these negative changes were mitigated by both dosages of TOXO-XL. Generally, 0.2% TOXO-XL displayed better mitigation effects than 0.1% TOXO-XL. Conclusively, these findings revealed that TOXO-XL could mitigate the combined mycotoxins-induced toxicity on the performance, liver and oviduct health, through the regulation of redox, immunity, and apoptosis in broiler breeder hens.