Abstract
Deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN) can seriously affect animal health, with potentially severe economic losses. Previous studies have demonstrated that gut microbiota plays a significant role in detoxification. We analyzed the colon contents from three groups of pigs (fed either a standard diet, or a diet with 8 mg/kg DON or ZEN). Bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicons were obtained from the colon contents, and sequenced using next-generation sequencing on the MiSeq platform. Overall, 2,444,635 gene sequences were generated, with ≥2000 sequences examined. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla in all three groups. The sequences of Lactobacillus, Megasphaera, and Faecalibacterium genera, and the unclassified Clostridiaceae family, represented more than 1.2% of the total, with significantly different abundances among the groups. Lactobacillus was especially more abundant in the DON (7.6%) and ZEN (2.7%) groups than in the control (0.2%). A total of 48,346 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified in the three groups. Two OTUs, classified as Lactobacillus, were the most dominant in the DON and ZEN groups. The abundances of the remaining OTUs were also significantly different among the groups. Thus, the mycotoxin-contaminated feed significantly affected the colon microbiota, especially Lactobacillus, which was the most abundant. Therefore, we speculate that Lactobacillus plays a major role in detoxification of these mycotoxins.
Highlights
Deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN) are Fusarium mycotoxins that cause significant economic losses of crops globally, and frequently contaminate food and animal feed, such as maize, wheat, barley, rice, rye, oats, sorghum, and triticale
The front portion of the pig small intestine lacks microorganisms that are able to degrade mycotoxins before they are absorbed by the small intestine [4,5]
Few studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of the DON and ZEN mycotoxins on the pig gastrointestinal microbiota; in particular, the effects of ZEN on the gastrointestinal microbiota are largely unknown
Summary
Deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN) are Fusarium mycotoxins that cause significant economic losses of crops globally, and frequently contaminate food and animal feed, such as maize, wheat, barley, rice, rye, oats, sorghum, and triticale. DON and ZEN cause damage to the gastrointestinal and immune systems in both humans and farm animals, resulting in vomiting, diarrhea, hemorrhage, leukopenia, and shock [1,2,3]. Pigs show a comparatively high sensitivity to DON and ZEN, likely because of a high percentage of cereals in the porcine diet, posing a greater risk of exposure to these two mycotoxins. DON has been known to cause toxic effects in both animals and humans. Following DON exposure, the initial adverse effect in pigs is a reduced feed intake. DON adversely affects the growth performance, immune response, and reproductive performance in growing pigs [6,7]
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