Practically relevant concentrations of deoxynivalenol in diets for growing-finishing pigs offered as mash or pellets

Dihydroartemisinin alleviates deoxynivalenol induced liver apoptosis and inflammation in piglets

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the mycotoxins that contaminate cereals and feed, thereby endangering human and animal health. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), a derivative of artemisinin, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant functions in addition to anti-malaria and anti-cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of DHA on alleviating liver apoptosis and inflammation induced by DON in piglets. The experimental design followed a 2 (normal diet and DON-contaminated diet) × 2 (with and without supplementation of DHA) factorial arrangement. 36 weaned piglets were subjected to a 21-day experiment. Results showed that DON increased ALT activity, the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-2, and reduced the levels of total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) in the serum. However, DHA decreased the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-2, and increased the levels of TP and ALB. Also, DON decreased glutathione (GSH) content and catalase (CAT) activity, and increased methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA) content. But GSH content was increased by DHA. In addition, DHA decreased DON-induced increase in apoptosis rate of hepatocytes. Furthermore, DON activated death receptor pathway to promote apoptosis by up-regulating the protein expression of FasL and caspase-3, and the mRNA expression of FasL, TNFR1, caspase-8, Bid, Bax, CYC and caspase-3. However, DHA reduced caspase-3 protein expression, as well as the mRNA expression of FADD, Bid, Bax, CYC and caspase-3. Besides, DON also activated TNF/NF-κB pathway to induce an inflammatory response by up-regulating TNF-α protein expression, and the mRNA expression of TNFR1, RIP1, IKKβ, IκBα, IL-1β and IL-8. Nevertheless, DHA reduced the mRNA expression of RIP1, IκBα, NF-κB, IL-1β and IL-6, and the protein expression of TNF-α and NF-κB. In conclusion, DHA improved DON-induced negative effects on serum biochemical parameters and inflammatory cytokine levels, hepatic antioxidant capacity, hepatic apoptosis and inflammation.

Chronic Exposure to the Fusarium Mycotoxin Deoxynivalenol: Impact on Performance, Immune Organ, and Intestinal Integrity of Slow-Growing Chickens

This study investigates the long-term effects of deoxynivalenol (DON) consumption on avian growth performance, on the proliferation, apoptosis, and DNA damage of spleen cells, and on intestinal integrity. Two hundred and eight 5-day-old black-feathered Taiwan country chickens were fed diets containing 0, 2, 5, and 10 mg/kg of DON for 16 weeks. Body weight gain of male birds in the 2 mg/kg group was significantly lower than that in the 5 mg/kg group. At the end of trial, feeding DON-contaminated diets of 5 mg/kg resulted in heavier spleens. Moreover, the increase in DON induced cellular proliferation, apoptosis, and DNA damage signals in the spleen, the exception being female birds fed 10 mg/kg of DON showing reduced proliferation. Expression of claudin-5 was increased in jejunum of female birds fed 2 and 5 mg/kg of DON, whereas decreased expression levels were found in male birds. In conclusion, our results verified that DON may cause a disturbance to the immune system and alter the intestinal barrier in Taiwan country chickens, and may also lead to discrepancies in growth performances in a dose- and sex-dependent manner.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) Contamination of Feed and Grinding Fineness: Are There Interactive Implications on Stomach Integrity and Health of Piglets?

The common feed contaminant deoxynivalenol (DON) was reported to influence the morphology of the pars nonglandularis (PN) of porcine stomach. Moreover, finely ground feed is known to trigger the development of ulcers and other pathologies of PN while coarsely ground feed protects from such lesions. The interactions between grinding fineness and DON contamination of feed were not examined so far. Therefore, both finely and coarsely ground feeds were tested either in the absence or presence of a DON contaminated wheat on growth performance and health of rearing piglets, including stomach integrity. DON contamination significantly reduced feed intake and serum albumin concentration with this effect being more pronounced after feeding the coarsely ground feed. Albeit at a higher level, albumin concentration was also reduced after feeding the finely ground and uncontaminated feed. Finely ground and DON-contaminated feed caused a significantly more pronounced lymphoplasmacytic infiltration both of PN and pars glandularis, partly paralleled by lymph follicle formation and detritus filled foveolae and tubes suggesting a local immune response probably triggered by epithelial lesions. It is concluded that DON contamination of feed exacerbates the adverse effects of finely ground feed on stomach mucosal integrity.

Effects of diets differing in protein source and technical treatment on digestibility, performance and visceral and biochemical parameters of fattening pigs

The aim of the experiment on 100 cross-bred barrows was to compare commercial diets for fattening pigs based on either soya bean meal (SBM) imported from non-European countries with diets based on a mixture of locally produced rape seed meal, distillers' dried grains with solubles and soya beans as main protein sources. In addition, these both types of diets were processed by two different technical feed treatments, i.e. coarse grinding without hydrothermal treatment or fine grinding and pelleting. With only few exceptions, nutrients of the diet without SBM were more digestible (p < 0.05) resulting in a higher metabolisable energy (ME) content. Fine grinding and pelleting increased also the ME content and the nutrient digestibility with the exception of crude fibre. Higher feed intake of animals that fed diets without SBM (p < 0.01) resulted in higher average daily gain (p < 0.01). However feeding this diet, the higher digestibility was not reflected in a decreased feed-to-gain ratio (FGR), but fine grinding and pelleting reduced FGR (p < 0.001). A higher pH value and a lower DM content of caecal chymus were detected in animals that received coarsely ground feed (p < 0.05). Animals that fed finely ground and pelleted feed had higher slaughter and relative liver weights and higher blood cholesterol concentrations (p = 0.040). The urea concentrations of blood were lower (p = 0.019) after feeding diets without SBM. In conclusion, SBM imported from non-European countries can be replaced by alternative local protein sources without compromising digestibility or performances of animals. Although fine grinding and thermal treatment particularly seemed to be advantageous for digestibility and performance, the possible risk of development of stomach lesions should be considered.

The Fusarium toxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZON) in animal feeding

The contamination of cereal grains with toxic secondary metabolites of fungi, mycotoxins, is a permanent challenge in animal nutrition as health and performance of the animals may be compromised as well as the quality of animal derived food. Therefore the present article reviews the issue of mycotoxins in animal nutrition. As the Fusarium toxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZON) are of particular importance under the production conditions in central Europe and Germany, with respect to their frequent occurrence in toxicologically relevant concentrations, special emphasis is layed on those mycotoxins. The effects of DON and ZON on susceptible animals as well as management strategies to cope with the contamination of grain with those toxins are reviewed.

Residues of deoxynivalenol (DON) in pig tissue after feeding mash or pellet diets containing low concentrations

Residues of deoxynivalenol (DON) and its metabolite de-epoxy-DON (DOM) were analyzed in specimens of pigs fed diets containing 0, 25, and 50% contaminated wheat (2.5 mg DON/kg) fed as mash or pellets over the final growing period of 11 wk. Median DON concentrations decreased from bile > kidney > serum > liver = muscle, while DOM was only detected in bile and kidney. Maximum carry over rates were 0.0319 for kidney, 0.0064 for liver, and 0.0043 for muscle, demonstrating that the contribution of animal derived food to the consumers' exposure is very low. The high interindividual variation of DON concentrations in all analyzed specimen of pigs fed diets containing similar concentrations of DON does not allow a diagnostic differentiation of animals fed diets containing DON concentrations of approximately 61% of the guidance level of 0.9 mg DON/kg, and those fed diets containing 137% of this concentration. The different feed forms did not affect residue concentrations in any of the investigated specimens.