Ameliorative Effects of Neutral Electrolyzed Water on Growth Performance, Biochemical Constituents, and Histopathological Changes in Turkey Poults during Aflatoxicosis

AFB1 Toxicity in Human Food and Animal Feed Consumption: A Review of Experimental Treatments and Preventive Measures

AIMS

The current review aims to outline and summarize the latest research on aflatoxin, with research studies describing natural, herbal and chemical compound applications in animal (pig) models and in vitro cellular studies. Aflatoxin, a carcinogenic toxin metabolite, is produced by Aspergillus flavus in humid environments, posing a threat to human health and crop production. The current treatment involves the prevention of exposure to aflatoxin and counteracting its harmful toxic effects, enabling survival and research studies on an antidote for aflatoxin.

OBJECTIVES

To summarize current research prospects and to outline the influence of aflatoxin on animal forage in farm production, food and crop processing. The research application of remedies to treat aflatoxin is undergoing development to pinpoint biochemical pathways responsible for aflatoxin effects transmission and actions of treatment.

SIGNIFICANCE

To underline the environmental stress of aflatoxin on meat and dairy products; to describe clinical syndromes associated with aflatoxicosis on human health that are counteracted with proposed treatment and preventive interventions. To understand how to improve the health of farm animals with feed conditions.

Efficacy of powdered alfalfa leaves to ameliorate the toxic effects of aflatoxin B1 in turkey poults

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of an adsorbent material based on powdered alfalfa leaves added in the aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-contaminated diet of turkey poults on production parameters, blood cell count, serum biochemistry, liver enzymes, and liver histology. For this purpose, three hundred and fifty female Nicholas-700 poults were randomly assigned into five treatments: (1) Control, AFB1-free diet; (2) AF, diet contaminated with 250 ng AFB1/g; (3) Alfalfa, AFB1-free diet + 0.5% (w/w) adsorbent; (4) AF+alfalfa, diet contaminated with 250 ng AFB1/g + 0.5% (w/w) adsorbent, and (5) AF+ yeast cell wall (YCW), diet contaminated with 250 ng AFB1/g + 0.5% (w/w) of yeast cell wall (a commercial mycotoxin binder used as reference material). The in vivo efficacy of powdered alfalfa leaves was assessed during a 28-day period. In general, the addition of powdered alfalfa leaves in the AFB1-free diet gave the best performance results (body weight, body weight gain, and feed intake) and improved the values of total protein, glucose, calcium, creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen. Moreover, the addition of powdered alfalfa leaves in the AFB1-contaminated diet enhanced body weight and body weight gain and significantly reduced the feed intake, compared to the AF and AF+YCW groups. Additionally, significant alterations in serum parameters were observed in poults intoxicated with the AFB1, compared to the Control group. Furthermore, typical histopathological lesions were observed in the liver of the AF group, which were significantly ameliorated with the addition of powdered alfalfa leaves. Conclusively, these results pointed out that low inclusion of powdered alfalfa leaves in the contaminated feed counteracted the adverse effects of AFB1 in turkey poults.

Evaluation of the efficacy of humic acids to counteract the toxic effects of aflatoxin B1 in turkey poults

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of humic acid (HA) from worm compost as an adsorbent for aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in turkey poults. The experiment involved the inclusion of 0.25% (w/w) HA in the diet of turkey poults consuming aflatoxin-contaminated feed (250 ng AFB1/g). A total of 350 1-day-old female Nicholas-700 turkey poults were randomly allocated to five equal groups: negative control (basal diet); positive control (basal diet + 250 ng AFB1/g; HA (basal diet + 0.25% HA); HA + AFB1 (basal diet + HA + 250 ng AFB1/g); and zeolite + AFB1 (basal diet + 0.25% zeolite + 250 ng AFB1/g). Each group had seven replicates of 10 poults (n = 70). The impact of HA addition was evaluated in terms of performance parameters, relative organ weights, liver histological lesions, and serum biochemical and hematological constituents. In general, the addition of HA improved body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), and feed conversion rate (FCR). Furthermore, HA effectively mitigated the toxic effects caused by AFB1 in the majority of the analyzed variables. The results indicated that HA effectively counteracted the AFB1-induced toxic effects in turkey poults. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that HA is capable of removing AFB1 from the contaminated diet.

Effects of supplemented multicomponent mycotoxin detoxifying agent in laying hens fed aflatoxin B1 and T2-toxin contaminated feeds

The present study was conducted to determine the ability of multicomponent mycotoxin detoxifying agent (MMDA) in feed to prevent the gastrointestinal absorption of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and T2-toxin supplemented via spiked maize. For comparisons, hens were fed with uncontaminated basal diet without or with addition of MMDA at 2 g/kg feed. The trial consisted of 105 laying hens (Lohmann Brown) without obvious signs of disease allocated to 7 treatment groups in 35 pens. Responses were demonstrated on laying performance and health status throughout the 42 d experimental period. The results of laying performance indicated significantly decreased egg mass with increasing mycotoxin (AFB1 and T2-toxin) levels up to the maximum tolerated dosage, however simultaneous presence of MMDA laying performance was slightly modified linearly to increasing application. Dose-dependent pathological changes in liver and kidneys and their relative weights, changes in blood parameters and reduced eggshell weights were observed in the hens fed AFB1 and T2-toxin. The pathological changes in the hens fed with diets containing AFB1 and T2-toxin without MMDA were significantly higher as compared with the control group, but eggshell stability was not affected. The contents of AFB1, T2-toxin and their metabolites in liver and kidney tissues were significantly decreased in the hens supplemented with MMDA at 2 and 3 g/kg in feed. MMDA supplementation significantly reduced the deposition of AFB1, T2-toxin and their metabolites in liver and kidneys at the maximum tolerated dosage (2 and 3 g/kg) indicating specific binding to AFB1 and T2-toxin in the digestive tract as compared to the corresponding diets without MMDA. Exposure of AFB1 and T2-toxin indicated significantly decreased egg mass with increasing mycotoxin levels up to the maximum tolerated dosage because of the significantly reduced egg production. Therefore, in this study, MMDA could reduce negative effects of feeding AFB1 and T-2 to laying hens.

Effect of Curcumin as Feed Supplement on Immune Response and Pathological Changes of Broilers Exposed to Aflatoxin B1

In this study, we examined the protective effects of curcumin against the AFB1-induced immune response of and pathological changes in broilers. Histopathology examinations showed that at day 28, AFB1 (5 mg/kg) exposure leads to severe histological changes in the spleen, thymus and bursa of Fabricius with a decrease in the number and karyoplasmic area ratio of plasma cells. Curcumin alleviated the AFB1-induced immune organs’ damage as well as the changes in plasma cells in a dose-dependent manner. RT-PCR data showed that AFB1 significantly downregulated the IL-2 and IFN-γ mRNA expression levels in the thymus, spleen and bursa of Fabricius. However, curcumin supplementation improved the AFB1-induced immune organs’ damage via upregulated cytokines’ expression. Intriguingly, similar trends were noticed in abnormal morphological changes and the immune response at day 35 after the withdrawal of AFB1 and curcumin from the diet, suggesting the protective effects and immunomodulatory function against AFB1 in broilers. The current study provides a scientific experimental basis for the application of curcumin as a therapeutic drug or additive in animal husbandry productive practice.

Mycotoxins binder supplementation alleviates aflatoxin B1 toxic effects on the immune response and intestinal barrier function in broilers

This experiment was conducted to evaluate whether a commercial mycotoxins-binder, XL, could effectively attenuate the negative effects of Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) on growth performance, immunological function, and intestinal health in birds. Two hundred forty 1-day-old Arbor Acres broiler chickens were randomly divided into 4 treatments using a 2 × 2 factorial randomized design with 2 levels of dietary mycotoxins binder (0 or 2g /kg) and 2 AFB₁ supplemented levels (0 or 200 μg/kg) from 0 to 42 d. Results showed that AFB₁ exposure impaired growth performance by decreasing BWG in 1–21 d and 1–42 d, decreasing FI in 1–21 d, increasing FCR in 1–21 d and 1–42 d (P < 0.05). Broilers fed AFB₁- contaminated diet impaired the immune function, as evident by decreasing IgA contents, Newcastle disease antibody titers in serum, and sIgA contents of jejunal mucosa at 21 d (P < 0.05). On the other hand, AFB₁ challenge significantly increased the gene expression of proinflammatory factors in spleen at 21 d and liver at 42 d, and significantly decreased claudin-1 expression at 42 d and occludin expression at 21 d, and increased claudin-2 at 21 d in jejunum of broiler chickens (P < 0.05) compared to the basal diet group. Dietary XL supplementation significantly decreased the gene expression of IL-6 in spleen at 21 d and IL-1β in liver at 42 d, cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) expression in liver at 21 d of broilers (P < 0.05) compared with the nonsupplemented birds, regardless of AFB₁ challenged or not. Inclusion of 2 g/kg XL increased serum ALB at 42 d, IgM and IgA at 42 d, Newcastle disease antibody titer level at 35 d (P < 0.05). Dietary XL addition enhanced intestinal barrier function by increasing the expression of claudin-1 at 21 d and Occludin at 42 d (P < 0.05) in jejunum. Conclusively, 2 g/kg mycotoxins-binder can relieve the toxic effect of AFB₁ on broilers.

Current and promising strategies to prevent and reduce aflatoxin contamination in grains and food matrices

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi that colonise various crops around the world and cause major damage to the agro-industrial sector on a global scale. Considering the estimative of population growth in the next decades, it is of fundamental importance the implementation of practices that help prevent the economics and social impacts of aflatoxin contamination. Even though various approaches have been developed – including physical, chemical and biological approaches – there is not yet one that strikes a balance in terms of safety, food quality and cost, especially when considering large scale application. In this review, we present a compilation of advantages and disadvantages of different strategies for prevention and reduction of aflatoxin contamination. Biological approaches represent the trend in innovations mainly due to their specificity and versatility, since it is possible to consider the utilisation of whole microorganisms, culture supernatants, purified enzymes or even genetic engineering. However, challenges related to improvement of the efficiency of such methods and ensuring safety of treated foods still need to be overcome.

Novel strategies for degradation of aflatoxins in food and feed: A review

Aflatoxins are toxic secondary metabolites mainly produced by Aspergillus fungi, posing high carcinogenic potency in humans and animals. Dietary exposure to aflatoxins is a global problem in both developed and developing countries especially where there is poor regulation of their levels in food and feed. Thus, academics have been striving over the decades to develop effective strategies for degrading aflatoxins in food and feed. These strategies are technologically diverse and based on physical, chemical, or biological principles. This review summarizes the recent progress on novel aflatoxin degradation strategies including irradiation, cold plasma, ozone, electrolyzed oxidizing water, organic acids, natural plant extracts, microorganisms and enzymes. A clear understanding of the detoxification efficiency, mechanism of action, degradation products, application potential and current limitations of these methods is presented. In addition, the development and future perspective of nanozymes in aflatoxins degradation are introduced.

Applications of Electrolyzed Water as a Sanitizer in the Food and Animal-By Products Industry

Food demand is increasing every year and, usually animal-derived products are generated far from consumer-places. New technologies are being developed to preserve quality characteristics during processing and transportation. One of them is electrolyzed water (EW) that helps to avoid or decrease the development of foodborne pathogens, or losses by related bacteria. Initially, EW was used in ready-to-eat foods such as spinach, lettuce, strawberries, among others; however, its application in other products is under study. Every product has unique characteristics that require an optimized application of EW. Different sanitizers have been developed; unfortunately, they could have undesirable effects like deterioration of quality or alterations in sensory properties. Therefore, EW is gaining popularity in the food industry due to its characteristics: easy application and storage, no corrosion of work surfaces, absence of mucosal membrane irritation in workers handling food, and it is considered environmentally friendly. This review highlights the advantages of using EW in animal products like chicken, pork, beef, eggs and fish to preserve their safety and quality.

Harmful Effects and Control Strategies of Aflatoxin B₁ Produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus Strains on Poultry: Review

The presence of aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) in poultry diets decreases the hatchability, hatchling weight, growth rate, meat and egg production, meat and egg quality, vaccination efficiency, as well as impairing the feed conversion ratio and increasing the susceptibility of birds to disease and mortality. AFB₁ is transferred from poultry feed to eggs, meat, and other edible parts, representing a threat to the health of consumers because AFB₁ is carcinogenic and implicated in human liver cancer. This review considers how AFB₁ produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus strains can affect the immune system, antioxidant defense system, digestive system, and reproductive system in poultry, as well as its effects on productivity and reproductive performance. Nutritional factors can offset the effects of AFB₁ in poultry and, thus, it is necessary to identify and select suitable additives to address the problems caused by AFB₁ in poultry.

Promising Detoxification Strategies to Mitigate Mycotoxins in Food and Feed

Mycotoxins are secondary fungal metabolites associated with adverse human health and animal productivity consequences.[...].