scholarly journals The Influence of Fusarium Mycotoxins on the Liver of Gilts and Their Suckling Piglets

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2534
Author(s):  
Tamara Dolenšek ◽  
Tanja Švara ◽  
Tanja Knific ◽  
Mitja Gombač ◽  
Boštjan Luzar ◽  
...  

Mycotoxins are common fungal secondary metabolites in both animal feed and human food, representing widespread toxic contaminants that cause various adverse effects. Co-contamination with different mycotoxins is frequent; therefore, this study focused on feed contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins, namely, deoxynivalenol (5.08 mg/kg), zearalenone (0.09 mg/kg), and fusaric acid (21.6 mg/kg). Their effects on the liver of gilts and their piglets were chosen as the research subject as pigs are one of the most sensitive animal species that are also physiologically very similar to humans. The gilts were fed the experimental diet for 54 ± 1 day, starting late in their pregnancy and continuing until roughly a week after weaning of their piglets. Livers of gilts and their piglets were assessed for different histopathological changes, apoptosis, and proliferation activity of hepatocytes. On histopathology, gilts fed the experimental diet had a statistically significant increase in hepatocellular necrosis and apoptosis (p = 0.0318) as well as sinusoidal leukocytosis with inflammatory infiltrates of hepatic lobules (p = 0.0004). The amount of interlobular connective tissue in the liver of experimental gilts was also significantly decreased (p = 0.0232), implying a disruption in the formation of fibrous connective tissue. Apoptosis of hepatocytes and of cells in hepatic sinusoids, further assessed by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) assay, showed a statistically significant increase (p = 0.0224 and p = 0.0007, respectively). No differences were observed in piglet livers. These results indicated that Fusarium mycotoxins elicited increased apoptosis, necrosis, and inflammation in the liver of gilts, but caused no effects on the liver of piglets at these concentrations.

2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 186-192
Author(s):  
Igor Ujčič-Vrhovnik ◽  
Tanja Švara ◽  
Tadej Malovrh ◽  
Breda Jakovac-Strajn

AbstractIn this study, feed naturally containing Fusarium mycotoxins was fed to gilts during the perinatal period, and the effects on the thymus were investigated in one-week-old piglets. Twenty gilts were divided into equal control (0.26 mg deoxynivalenol, DON) and experimental (5.08 mg DON, 0.09 mg zearalenone and 21.61 mg fusaric acid per kg of feed) groups. One suckling piglet from each litter (n = 20) was sacrificed at one week of age to obtain thymus samples for further analysis. The cortex to medulla ratio of the thymus was morphometrically analysed using NIS Elements BR (Nikon) software. Paraffin-embedded thymus sections were stained to quantify apoptosis (with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling – TUNEL method), cellular proliferation (Ki-67) and macrophages (MAC 387). The results showed that the thymus cortex (P = 0.023) to medulla (P = 0.023) ratio was significantly lower in the experimental group. The number of apoptotic cells (cortex, P = 0.010, medulla, P = 0.001) and the number of proliferating cells in the thymus cortex (P = 0.001) and medulla (P < 0.001) were significantly higher in the experimental group. Our results indicate that feeding Fusarium mycotoxins to a parent animal during the perinatal period induces significant alterations in the thymus of one-week-old piglets, which indicates an immunosuppressive effect in piglets.


1994 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 514-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHARLES W. BACON ◽  
PAUL E. NELSON

The fungi Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon and Fusarium proliferatum (Matsushima) Nirenberg produce a series of toxins on corn which include the fumonisins of which fumonisin B1 and B2 are considered to have cancer promoting activity. Both fungi produce similar ratios of the fumonisins B1 to B2. Other mycotoxins produced include moniliformin, fusarin C and fusaric acid. Fumonisin B1 has been shown to be responsible for most of the toxicological affects observed from ingesting corn infected by toxigenic isolates of these fungi. The distribution of the two fungi is generally similar, although F. proliferatum is isolated more frequently from sorghum than corn. They occur worldwide on other food crops, such as rice, sorghum, millet, several fruits and vegetables. Both fungi are ear rot pathogens of corn, thus, mycotoxin production occurs under field conditions, although it also may occur in storage. One or both fungi may have a frequency of occurrence of 90% or higher in corn; 90% of the F. moniliforme isolates produce the fumonisins. On corn and corn products the range of concentrations reported is 0.3 to 330 μg/g of corn-based product. These concentrations include both corn-based animal feed and human foods.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-92
Author(s):  
Kirenia Pérez-Corría ◽  
Aroldo Botello-León ◽  
Abril Karina Mauro-Félix ◽  
Franklin Rivera-Pineda ◽  
María Teresa Viana ◽  
...  

To evaluate the chemical composition of the earthworm (Eisenia foetida) co-dried (EW) with vegetable meals (VM) as animal feed ingredient, the blends were mixed with wheat bran (WB), rice powder (RP), corn meal (CM) and soy cake meal (SCM) in proportions of 85:15; 75:25 and 65:35. The dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), crude fat (CFA), crude fiber (CF), ashes and nitrogen-free extract (NFE) of the ingredients and final mixtures were determined. All the mixtures resulted with a high content of DM (≥90.00 %). No significant differences among the proportions were revealed (P>0.05). In addition, the higher inclusion of the earthworm in the proportions (85:15) increased (P<0.05) the CP (54.70 %), CFA (7.28 %), and ashes (10.20 %), mainly when mixed with SCM, CM, and RP, respectively. However, the use of vegetable meals proportionally increased the CF (7.31 %), and NFE (52.62 %), mainly with the proportion of 65:35 and with RP and CM, respectively (P<0.05). The results showed that the vegetable meals (WB, RP, CM, and SCM) are useful to co-dry the earthworm to be use for animal feed. It is concluded that the most appropriate proportion (VM:EW) will depend on the animal species, productive stage and market requirement.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mao Li ◽  
Hanlin Zhou ◽  
Xiangyu Pan ◽  
Tieshan Xu ◽  
Zhenwen Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Geese are extremely adept in utilizing plant-derived roughage within their diet. However, the intestinal microbiome of geese remains limited, especially the dietary effect on microbial diversity. Cassava foliage was widely used in animal feed, but little information is available for geese. In this study, the geese were fed with control diet (CK), experimental diet supplemented with 5% cassava foliage (CF5) or 10% (CF10) for 42 days, respectively. The cecal samples were collected after animals were killed. High-throughput sequencing technology was used to investigate the microbial diversity in the caecum of geese with different dietary supplements. Taxonomic analysis indicated that the predominant phyla were distinct with different dietary treatments. The phyla Firmicutes (51.4%), Bacteroidetes (29.55%) and Proteobacteria (7.90%) were dominant in the CK group, but Bacteroidetes (65.19% and 67.29%,) Firmicutes (18.01% and 17.39%), Proteobacteria (8.72% and 10.18%), Synergistete (2.51% and 1.76%) and Spirochaetes (2.60% and 1.46%) were dominant in CF5 and CF10 groups. The abundance of Firmicutes was negatively correlated with the supplementation of cassava foliage. However, the abundance of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria were positively correlated with the supplementation of cassava foliage. Our study also revealed that the microbial communities were significantly different at genus levels. Genes related to nutrient and energy metabolism, immunity and signal transduction pathways were primarily enriched by the microbiome.


2010 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
pp. 1090-1096 ◽  
Author(s):  
MICHAEL J. MYERS ◽  
DOROTHY E. FARRELL ◽  
CHRISTINE M. DEAVER ◽  
JACQULINE MASON ◽  
HEIDI L. SWAIM ◽  
...  

The capability of eight commercially available DNA extraction kits to extract bovine DNA originating in meat and bone meal from fortified feed was evaluated. Four different batches of bovine meat and bone meal (BMBM) were used for DNA extraction with the eight commercial DNA extraction kits. Within each kit, there were minimal differences in the batch-to-batch amounts of extracted DNA. There were differences between the kits in the amounts of DNA that could be extracted from the same amount of starting BMBM. These differences did not translate into differences in the amount of amplifiable DNA from BMBM-fortified dairy feed. Using a validated real-time PCR method, the kit yielding the highest amount extractable DNA was completely unable to yield a positive PCR result; one other kit was also unable to produce a positive PCR result from DNA extracted from BMBM-fortified feed. There was a complete lack of a correlation between the amount of bovine DNA isolated from BMBM by a given extraction kit compared with the relative amounts of DNA isolated from fortified animal feed as evidenced by the cycle threshold values generated using the real-time PCR method. These results demonstrate that extraction of DNA from processed animal protein is different for pure ingredients and fortified animal feeds. These results indicate that a method specifically developed using just animal-derived meat and bone meal may not yield a functional assay when used to detect animal tissues in complete animal feed.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
A. Mesfin ◽  
K. Tesfamariam ◽  
T. Belachew ◽  
S. De Saeger ◽  
C. Lachat ◽  
...  

Multi-mycotoxin exposure data are missing to guide risk assessment and legislation in Ethiopia. This study therefore aimed to determine mycotoxin contamination levels in maize samples from 176 randomly selected household storages in three agro ecological zones of South (Sidama zone) and West (Jimma zone) Ethiopia, and to examine the post-harvest practices and household processing. Liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry was used to quantify 23 mycotoxins. The majority of the households regularly consumed maize (more than once per day). More (77%) samples in Sidama were contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins deoxynivalenol than in Jimma (29%) (P<0.001); Similar distributions of fumonisin B1 (19%), fumonisin B2 (19%) and fumonisin B3 (12%, Sidama vs 13%, Jimma) contamination were observed (P>0.05). In Sidama, only one sample was contaminated with the Aspergillus mycotoxin aflatoxin B2 and another sample with aflatoxin B1. From all samples, 40% were contaminated with 3-5 types of Fusarium mycotoxins and only 4% of the samples were contaminated with 6-8 types of mycotoxins. After the harvested maize was dried on the field, the majority of respondents in Jimma reported that they removed the maize within one day, which was less practiced in Sidama. The majority of households in Sidama, and some in Jimma, reported that they dried maize before storage, mainly using the sun. Close to two third of the study participants in the two zones reported that they applied the chemical dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) during maize storage. All households in both zones reported that they sorted visible mouldy maize grains before preparation of maize flour while most of them kept the mouldy maize for animal feed. Protective strategies of Fusarium mycotoxin contamination, with special focus on deoxynivalenol and zearalenone, should be well promoted in the study areas as they are possible human and animal health threats.


2001 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 453 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Jones ◽  
J. H. F. Meyer ◽  
F. M. Bechaz ◽  
M. A. Stoltz ◽  
B. Palmer ◽  
...  

The hypothesis that South African game animals that use browse containing condensed tannins (CT) could have rumen microbial populations better able to ferment tanniniferous forages was explored. Rumen fluid (RF) from a range of browsing ruminants was used to ferment tanniniferous forages in vitro and the results were compared with the values obtained with rumen fluid from sheep. Leaves of the shrub legumes Leucaena leucocephala, L. pallida, L. trichandra, Calliandra calothyrsus,Gliricidia sepium, and Acacia boliviana were used as substrates. In vitro digestibility of dry matter (IVDMD) and nitrogen (IVND) was measured in the presence or absence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000 to assess the adverse effects of the CT in the feeds. Rumen fluid from giraffe, greater kudu, eland, duiker, impala, nyala, goat, and gnu was compared with that from sheep. Ability to metabolise or block the adverse effects of CT was expected to result in only a small or no response to PEG in terms of IVDMD and IVND with rumen fluid from browsers, and therefore to result in a significant animal feed and animal PEG interaction. There were no significant (P > 0.05) animal feed interactions. For every animal species there was a response to PEG in terms of IVND, and this response was linearly related to the CT in the feed as measured by PEG binding using 14C-labelled PEG. Rumen fluid from browsers had a lower pH (5.78 0.060 v. 6.68 0.052) and a higher dry matter content (1473 102 mg v. 415 4.3 mg/100 mL RF) than that of grazers (sheep and gnu). However, when measured at 2 pH levels (6.7 and 5.8), IVDMD and IVND of the feeds were not improved at the lower pH with rumen fluid from the browsers. Rather, digestibility was depressed at the lower pH with rumen fluid from all animal species. We conclude from these in vitro studies that rumen microbial populations from browsers are not able to ferment tanniniferous forages better than rumen microbial populations from grazers. It seems likely that these browsers do not have rumen bacteria capable of degrading the CT in these shrub legumes. Production on such tanniniferous feeds may well depend on tannin binding with proline-rich saliva rather than on metabolism of or tolerance to CT by rumen bacteria.


Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 351
Author(s):  
Miranda Aldhouse-Green

There is a mounting body of evidence for somatic exchange in burial practices within later British prehistory. The title of the present paper was sparked by a recent article in The Times (Tuesday 1 September 2020), which contained a description of human bone curation and body mingling clearly present in certain Bronze Age funerary depositional rituals. The practice of mixing up bodies has been identified at several broadly coeval sites, a prime example being Cladh Hallan in the Scottish Hebrides, where body parts from different individuals were deliberately mingled, not just somatically but also chronologically. This paper’s arguments rest upon the premise that somatic boundary crossing is reflected in Iron Age and later art, especially in the blending of human and animal imagery and of one animal species with another. Such themes are endemic in La Tène decorative metalwork and in western Roman provincial sacred imagery. It is possible, indeed likely, that such fluidity is associated with deliberate subversion of nature and with the presentation of ‘shamanism’ in its broadest sense. Breaking ‘natural’ rules and orders introduces edge blurring between material and spiritual worlds, representing, perhaps, the ability of certain individuals (shamans) to break free from human-scapes and to wander within the realms of the divine.


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