Effects of Deoxynivalenol and Fumonisins on Broiler Gut Cytoprotective Capacity.

Vasileios Paraskeuas,Gunther Antonissen,Konstantinos C Mountzouris,Konstantinos Fegeros,Eirini Griela,Dimitrios Bouziotis

doi:10.3390/toxins13100729

Vasileios Paraskeuas, Gunther Antonissen + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13100729

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Journal: Toxins	Publication Date: Oct 16, 2021
Citations: 12	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Agricultural University of Athens, Ghent University

Abstract

Mycotoxins are a crucial problem for poultry production worldwide. Two of the most frequently found mycotoxins in feedstuffs are deoxynivalenol (DON) and fumonisins (FUM) which adversely affect gut health and poultry performance. The current knowledge on DON and FUM effects on broiler responses relevant for gut detoxification, antioxidant capacity, and health is still unclear. The aim of this study was to assess a range of selected molecular intestinal biomarkers for their responsiveness to the maximum allowable European Union dietary levels for DON (5 mg/kg) and FUM (20 mg/kg) in broilers. For the experimental purpose, a challenge diet was formulated, and biomarkers relevant for detoxification, antioxidant response, stress, inflammation, and integrity were profiled across the broiler intestine. The results reveal that DON significantly (p < 0.05) induced aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and cytochrome P450 enzyme (CYP) expression mainly at the duodenum. Moreover, DON and FUM had specific significant (p < 0.05) effects on the antioxidant response, stress, inflammation, and integrity depending on the intestinal segment. Consequently, broiler molecular responses to DON and FUM assessed via a powerful palette of biomarkers were shown to be mycotoxin and intestinal site specific. The study findings could be highly relevant for assessing various dietary bioactive components for protection against mycotoxins.

Highlights

Contamination of cereal grains and their byproducts by mycotoxins is a worldwide problem negatively affecting poultry production [1]
DON is produced as a secondary metabolite by Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum, whereas FUM are secondary metabolites which are mainly produced by Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium proliferatum [2,3]
Broilers of the DON or FUM treatment had significantly lower (p = 0.002) Body Weight Gain (BWG) compared to broilers of the un-supplemented challenge diet (CD) treatment

Summary

Introduction

Contamination of cereal grains and their byproducts by mycotoxins is a worldwide problem negatively affecting poultry production [1]. The European Union (EU) limitations for DON and FUM in poultry feed are set to 5 and 20 mg/kg, respectively [4]. In recent studies, there have been indications that, even at lower concentrations than the EU limits, DON and FUM could cause mycotoxicosis and negatively affect broiler gut health and performance [1,5], while the severity of mycotoxins on broiler performance will depend on the type of mycotoxins involved and level of feed contamination; other factors such as the overall diet, bird genetics, and the rate of mycotoxin absorption will have to be taken into consideration [6]. Compared to non-genetically developed traditional broiler strains, the high-performance capacity of modern broilers may render them susceptible to even low mycotoxin levels [7]

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