Abstract
Sows were fed naturally contaminated diets containing: (i) 100 ppb zearalenone (ZEN) one week before farrowing and during the lactation period (at 26 days), (ii) 100 ppb ZEN one week before farrowing and 300 ppb ZEN during the lactation period, or (iii) 300 ppb ZEN one week before farrowing and during the lactation period. All diets contained 250 ppb deoxynivalenol (DON). The highest levels of ZEN, α-ZEL, or β-ZEL were observed in the serum of sows fed 300 ppb ZEN before farrowing and during lactation. However, only α-ZEL was significantly increased in the colostrum and milk of these sows. Sows fed the 300 ppb ZEN during the complete trial presented a significant decrease in backfat thickness before farrowing. This effect was accompanied by a decrease in serum leptin levels. These sows also presented a decrease in estradiol levels and this effect was observed in their piglets exposed during lactation, which presented increased glucagon-like peptide 1, but no changes in serum levels of ZEN, α-ZEL, or β-ZEL. Although all sows were fed the same levels of DON, the serum levels of DON and de-epoxy-DON were increased only in the serum of piglets from the sows fed a diet with the highest ZEN levels during the whole experimental period. Moreover, these piglets presented gut inflammation, as indicated by significantly increased calprotectin levels in their serum.
Highlights
Zearalenone (ZEN) and deoxynivalenol (DON) are the most commonly found mycotoxins in food and feed, especially those based on corn and beet pulp [1,2]
When the milk was evaluated at weaning, the increase of α-ZEL levels was observed in sows from T2 and T3, i.e., those fed a HiZEN diet from farrowing to weaning or from d109 to weaning, respectively (Table 4)
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating the transmission of ZEN, DON, and their metabolites from sows to piglets during lactation, via colostrum and milk
Summary
Zearalenone (ZEN) and deoxynivalenol (DON) are the most commonly found mycotoxins in food and feed, especially those based on corn and beet pulp [1,2]. We observed the negative impact of feeding sows diets contaminated with different ZEN levels (200 to 1000 ppb) during gestation and lactation, which resulted in impaired ovarian function of the piglets [3]. ZEN and its derivatives, e.g., α-ZEL and β-ZEL, have a conformation similar to that of estradiol, allowing them to bind estrogenic receptors, leading to an estrogenic action [5] This shows the importance of measuring ZEN derivatives and estradiol levels in milk and serum. Genistein (a phytoestrogen present in soybeans) inhibits leptin synthesis [6]. It is not clear if ZEN could cause the same effect. Leptin stimulates glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) release, which is a gut-derived hormone playing a physiological role in satiety [8]
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