Technetium-99m-labeled deoxynivalenol from Fusarium mycotoxin alters organ toxicity in BALB/c mice by oral and intravenous route

Electrochemical aptasensor based on exonuclease III-mediated signal amplification for sensitive detection of vomitoxin in cornmeal

Vomitoxin (DON) residues in grains are of great concern to public health. Herein, a label-free aptasensor was constructed to detect DON distributed in grains. Cerium-based metal-organic framework composite gold nanoparticles (CeMOF@Au) were used as substrate materials to facilitate electron transfer and provided more binding sites for DNA. The separation of DON-aptamer (Apt) complex and cDNA was achieved by magnetic separation technique based on magnetic beads (MBs), ensuring the specificity of the aptasensor. Exonuclease III (Exo III)-assisted cDNA cycling process strategy would be triggered when cDNA was separated and introduced to the sensing interface for further signal amplification. Under optimal conditions, the constructed aptasensor presented a wide detection range from 1 × 10^-8 mg·mL^-1 to 5 × 10^-4 mg·mL^-1 for DON, and the detection limit was 1.79 × 10^-9 mg·mL^-1, including a satisfactory recovery in cornmeal sample spiked with DON. The results showed that the proposed aptasensor had high reliability and promising application potential in detecting DON.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ameliorates deoxynivalenol-induced kidney oxidative damage and mitochondrial injury in weaned piglets

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a common mycotoxin that pollutes food crops and adversely affects the health of animals, even humans. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) can alleviate intestinal injury, and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. However, the potential of LGG in alleviating kidney injury induced by DON in piglets remains to be studied. The objective of this study was to investigate the adverse effect of DON on kidney injury and the protective ability of LGG. A total of twenty-seven weaned piglets were divided into three groups: CON group, DON group (3.11 mg kg^-1 feed) and LGG + DON group (LGG powder 1 g kg^-1 + DON 3.15 mg kg^-1 feed). DON increased the MDA content, and decreased antioxidant enzyme activity (GSH-Px) and total antioxidant capacity (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, DON activated the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway. However, LGG supplementation alleviated the damage of DON to the kidney antioxidant system of piglets. Notably, DON significantly reduced the Sirt3 expression (P < 0.05), which was alleviated by LGG addition. The expression of mitochondrial biogenesis related factors such as VDAC1 and Cyt C was up-regulated by DON (P < 0.05), and LGG could improve mitochondrial ultrastructural abnormalities and mitochondrial dysfunction. In addition, LGG mitigated DON-induced mitochondrial fusion inhibition, and prevented DON-mediated mitochondrial autophagy. In conclusion, LGG play a protective role in DON-induced kidney toxicity, and dietary intervention may be a strategy to reduce mycotoxins.

Dietary Baicalin Zinc Supplementation Alleviates Oxidative Stress and Enhances Nutrition Absorption in Deoxynivalenol Challenged Pigs

BACKGROUND

Deoxynivalenol contamination is increasing worldwide, presenting great challenges to food security and causing great economic losses in the livestock industry.

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to determine the protective effect of baicalin zinc as a dietary supplement on pigs fed with a deoxynivalenol contaminated diet.

METHODS

A total of 40 weaned pigs (21 d of age; 6.13 ± 0.42 kg average BW) were randomly assigned (10 pigs/group) to 4 dietary treatments: basal diet (Con group), basal diet + 4 mg/kg DON (DON group), basal diet + 5 g/kg BZN (BZN group), and basal diet + 5 g/kg BZN + 4 mg/kg DON (DBZN group) for a 14-d period. Seven randomly-selected pigs from each treatment were killed for blood and tissue sampling.

RESULTS

The results showed that piglets challenged with DON exhibited significantly reduced levels of ADG, ADFI, and F/G (p < 0.05). BZN supplemented diets significantly suppressed the protein expression of p-Nrf2, p-NF-kB, and HO-1 in the jejunum of DON challenged piglets (p < 0.05). In liver, DON markedly increased the mRNA expression of P70S6K and HSP70 in piglets fed the basal diet, but significantly reduced that of HO-1, NQO-1, NF-kB, AMPKα2 and HSP70 in piglets fed the BZN supplemented diet (p < 0.05). Dietary supplementation with BZN markedly increased the T-AOC level of serum in weaned piglets (p < 0.05). In jejunum, dietary supplementation with BZN activated the mRNA expression of ZIP4 in piglets (p < 0.05), BZN supplementation significantly suppressed the activity of sucrose and increased the protein concentration in chyme (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

BZN can play a protective role by reducing oxidative stress and enhancing nutrient absorption in pigs fed DON-contaminated diets.

Fusarium Species and Mycotoxins Contaminating Veterinary Diets for Dogs and Cats

Veterinary diets are intended for diseased animals and may contain cereal grains, mainly maize and/or wheat. These, in turn, are often infected with pathogens of the Fusarium genus, which are able to produce numerous harmful mycotoxins. Forty-two samples of veterinary diets for dogs and cats were analyzed for the presence of Fusarium species and mycotoxins. Species were identified using molecular methods and the ergosterol and mycotoxins (fumonisin B₁, deoxynivalenol, nivalenol and zearalenone) were quantified using HPLC methods. Two Fusarium species were identified: Fusarium proliferatum and Fusarium verticillioides. The highest concentrations of fumonisin B₁, deoxynivalenol, nivalenol and zearalenone were 74.83, 2318.05, 190.90, and 45.84 ng/g, respectively. Only 9.5% of the samples were free from Fusarium mycotoxins. The acceptable limits of mycotoxin content in animal feed, specified by the EU regulations, were not exceeded in any of the samples tested. The mean mycotoxin content in veterinary diets for cats was lower than for dogs. Thus, it is recommended that veterinary diets are examined, since the mycotoxin contamination pose additional risk to animal health. The knowledge on Fusarium occurrence in veterinary diets is scarce and as far as we are aware this is the first report concerning the occurrence of Fusarium spp. and their important secondary metabolites—mycotoxins—in different types of veterinary diets for companion animals in Poland.

Effects of High Levels of Deoxynivalenol and Zearalenone on Growth Performance, and Hematological and Immunological Parameters in Pigs

Background: Deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN) are common food contaminants produced by Fusarium sp. Mycotoxins are a potential health hazard because of their toxicological effects on both humans and farmed animals. Methods: We analyzed three groups of pigs: a control group (fed a standard diet), and the DON and ZEN groups, fed a diet containing 8 mg/kg DON and 0.8 mg/kg ZEN respectively, for four weeks. Results: DON and ZEN exposure decreased body weight (BW), average daily feed intake (ADFI), food conversion rate (FCR), and the serum levels of immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgM. The total antioxidant levels significantly decreased in serum and increased in urine samples of both treatment groups. Additionally, DON and ZEN exposure increased serotonin levels in urine. Hematological parameters were not affected by the investigated toxins. Microscopic lesions were evident in sections of kidneys from either treatment group: we found sporadic interstitial nephritis in the DON group and renal glomerulus atrophy in the ZEN group. The expression levels of inflammatory cytokines and chemokine marker genes were reduced in tissues from DON- and ZEN-exposed pigs. Conclusions: chronic ingestion of high doses of DON and ZEN alters the immune response and causes organs damage, and might be associated with various diseases in pigs.

Effects of composite antimicrobial peptides in weanling piglets challenged with deoxynivalenol: I. Growth performance, immune function, and antioxidation capacity

The mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) is a food contaminant that leads to reduced feed intake and reduced BW gain, as well as organ impairment. On the other hand, antimicrobial peptides have been shown to have positive effects on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and immune function. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of composite antimicrobial peptides (CAP) on piglets challenged with DON. After a 7-d adaptation period, 28 individually housed piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Large Yorkshire) weaned at 28 d of age were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 4 treatments (7 pigs/treatment): negative control, basal diet (NC), basal diet + 0.4% CAP (CAP), basal diet + 4 mg/kg DON (DON), and basal diet + 4 ppm DON + 0.4% CAP (DON + CAP). On d 15 and 30 after the initiation of treatment, blood samples were collected for the determination of blood profile. Piglets were monitored for 30 d to assess performance and then were slaughtered to obtain organs for the determination of the relative weight of organs. The results showed that dietary supplementation with DON decreased (P < 0.05) ADFI, ADG, and G:F, whereas dietary supplementation with CAP improved ADG and G:F (P < 0.05). The relative weight of the kidney and pancreas was greater and the relative weight of the spleen was lighter in the DON treatment than in the other 3 treatments (P < 0.05). There were no effects (P > 0.05) on other relative weights of viscera, except the relative weight of the gallbladder, but the diamine oxidase activity in the liver decreased in DON-treated piglets (P < 0.05). Piglets in the DON treatment had increased serum concentrations of alkaline phosphatase, alanine transaminase, and aspartate aminotransferase and a dramatic decrease in total protein (P < 0.05), whereas there were no differences (P > 0.05) between the DON + CAP treatment and the other treatments. The DON treatment decreased the numbers of red blood cells and platelets, as well as the serum catalase concentrations, and decreased the serum concentrations of H2O2, maleic dialdehyde, and nitric oxide (P < 0.05). The numbers of platelets and thrombocytocrit, as well as the serum concentrations of catalase, were greater, whereas the maleic dialdehyde concentrations were decreased, in both the CAP and DON + CAP treatments compared with the other treatments (P < 0.05). Compared with the control treatment, DON decreased peripheral lymphocyte proliferation on d 15, whereas supplementation with CAP increased it on d 15 and 30 (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that CAP could improve feed efficiency, immune function, and antioxidation capacity and alleviate organ damage, and thus, it has a protective effect in piglets challenged with DON.