Abstract
The present study was carried out to study the effect of in-ovo ochratoxin A (OTA) injection in Highline layer eggs on calcium metabolism and blood biochemical parameters of embryos and after the hatch. At day 10 of embryonic development, one hundred and sixty-two fertile eggs were individually weighed and divided into two equal treatments. The first treatment (control) consisted of the individual injection of fertile eggs with 50 µL sodium carbonate. In the second treatment (OTA), fertile eggs were individually injected with 12.5 ng OTA dissolved in 50 µL sodium carbonate. On days 12, 14, and 16 of incubation and at the hatch, serum calcium and inorganic phosphorus concentrations were lower (p<0.05), while sodium, alkaline phosphatase and triiodothyronine concentrations were higher (p<0.05) in the OTA-injected eggs compared with the controls. Serum potassium concentration was not affected (p<0.05) by OTA treatment. Lower calcium and phosphorus levels were determined (p<0.05) in the allantoic fluid of OTA-injected eggs compared with the controls. On days 12, 14, and 16 of incubation and at the hatch, lower whole body and yolk calcium and phosphorus, but not sodium levels, were measured (p<0.05) in the OTA treatment compared with the controls. In conclusion, the injection of eggs with OTA reduced blood calcium and phosphorus levels, which were associated with reduced whole body and yolk content from these electrolytes. Therefore, ochratoxin A had a negative effect on calcium metabolism.
Highlights
Mycotoxins are secondary mold metabolites, and are ubiquitous contaminants of food and feed (O’Brien et al, 2001)
Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced by some toxigenic species of Aspergillus and Penicillium fungi, and it is an unavoidable contaminant of animal and human food sources (Mukhtar et al, 2010)
On days 12, 14 and 16 of incubation and at the hatch, the ochratoxin A (OTA) treatment resulted in lower (p
Summary
Mycotoxins are secondary mold metabolites, and are ubiquitous contaminants of food and feed (O’Brien et al, 2001). In crop and animal production, the most important mycotoxins are the aflatoxins (AF) B1, B2, G1, G2, ochratoxin A (OTA), fumonisins (FB1, FB2), zearalenone (ZEA) and trichothecenes (O’Brien et al, 2001). Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced by some toxigenic species of Aspergillus and Penicillium fungi, and it is an unavoidable contaminant of animal and human food sources (Mukhtar et al, 2010). Studies show that this mycotoxin can have nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic, neurotoxic, teratogenic and immunotoxic effects (El Khoury & Atoui, 2010). Administration of OTA to the female rabbits resulted in the skeletal defects in the developing embryos (Wangikar et al, 2004)
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