EFFECT OF ADDING POTENTIAL VOMITOXIN (DEOXYNIVALENOL) DETOXICANTS OR A F. graminearum INOCULATED CORN SUPPLEMENT TO WHEAT DIETS FED TO PIGS

Abstract

Six groups each of five barrows and five gilts were offered ad libitum one of six pelleted diets containing 68% wheat. A pellet binder was added (1.5%) to all diets. There were three clean wheat diets, one unsupplemented, one supplemented with a binding agent (Antitox Vana) and another with Fusarium graminearum inoculated corn; also, three vomitoxin-contaminated wheat diets, one unsupplemented, one supplemented with Antitox Vana and another with ammonium carbonate. Vomitoxin content was negligible in the clean wheat (control) diet, and was about 5 mg/kg in the three contaminated diets and 14 mg/kg in the inoculated corn diet. Pigs weighed 35 kg initially and a necropsy was conducted on each after 5 wk on experiment. Feed consumption was reduced 15–17% with the contaminated wheat diets, and approximately 50% with the inoculated corn diet from which effect the pigs seemed never to recover to the level of those fed the contaminated wheat diets. Discoloration of the stomach mucosa, and epithelial thickening of the esophageal area occurred in more pigs fed the contaminated wheat diets than those fed the clean wheat (control) diet, and a more marked response was evoked by the inoculated corn diet. The addition of the binding agent or the ammonium carbonate did not appear in this experiment to alleviate any of these effects. Key words: Vomitoxin, deoxynivalenol, antitoxin, wheat, inoculated corn, pigs