Abstract
Both mycotoxin contamination of feed and Clostridium perfringens-induced necrotic enteritis have an increasing global economic impact on poultry production. Especially the Fusarium mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) is a common feed contaminant. This study aimed at examining the predisposing effect of DON on the development of necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens. An experimental Clostridium perfringens infection study revealed that DON, at a contamination level of 3,000 to 4,000 µg/kg feed, increased the percentage of birds with subclinical necrotic enteritis from 20±2.6% to 47±3.0% (P<0.001). DON significantly reduced the transepithelial electrical resistance in duodenal segments (P<0.001) and decreased duodenal villus height (P = 0.014) indicating intestinal barrier disruption and intestinal epithelial damage, respectively. This may lead to an increased permeability of the intestinal epithelium and decreased absorption of dietary proteins. Protein analysis of duodenal content indeed showed that DON contamination resulted in a significant increase in total protein concentration (P = 0.023). Furthermore, DON had no effect on in vitro growth, alpha toxin production and netB toxin transcription of Clostridium perfringens. In conclusion, feed contamination with DON at concentrations below the European maximum guidance level of 5,000 µg/kg feed, is a predisposing factor for the development of necrotic enteritis in broilers. These results are associated with a negative effect of DON on the intestinal barrier function and increased intestinal protein availability, which may stimulate growth and toxin production of Clostridium perfringens.
Highlights
Worldwide, necrotic enteritis (NE) leads to important production losses, increased feed consumption and mortality rates, and a reduced welfare of broiler chickens [1,2,3,4]
It has been suggested that alpha toxin production is an essential virulence factor in the pathogenesis of NE [7], but recently it was established that only strains producing NetB toxin, a b-poreforming toxin, are capable of inducing NE in broiler chickens under specific conditions that predispose to the disease [8,9]
The DON-contaminated diet led to a significantly increased number of chickens with NE; i.e. 2062.6% of the chickens in the group inoculated with C. perfringens and fed a control diet were positive for NE lesions, while in the group inoculated with C. perfringens and fed a DONcontaminated diet 4763.0% of the broilers were positive (P, 0.001) (Figure 1, Table 1)
Summary
Necrotic enteritis (NE) leads to important production losses, increased feed consumption and mortality rates, and a reduced welfare of broiler chickens [1,2,3,4]. The subclinical form is becoming more prevalent, and is mainly characterized by intestinal mucosal damage without clinical signs or mortality. This leads to a decreased digestion and absorption of nutrients, a reduced weight gain and an impaired feed conversion rate [4,8]
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