Location: Toxicology & Mycotoxin Research
Project Number: 6040-42000-046-006-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: May 1, 2023
End Date: Oct 1, 2027
Objective:
1. Develop nanoparticle-based vaccines targeting fumonisins (FUM) and deoxynivalenol (DON) mycotoxins and production of anti-mycotoxin egg yolk antibodies.
2. Identify the time course and the kinetics of anti-FUM and anti-DON antibody production in eggs.
3. Identify the dose of egg yolk powder in the finished chicken diet that can neutralize FUM and DON.
4. To investigate the efficacy and geospatial impact of egg-yolk powder in minimizing the epidemiological incidences of mycotoxin-induced necrotic enteritis, Clostridium perfringens, and Salmonella infections in poultry.
Approach:
Layer hens will be hyperimmunized with the mycotoxin vaccine. Egg yolk will be quantified for anti-mycotoxin antibody content. The antibodies will be characterized in vitro for their neutralizing capacity against mycotoxins. Egg yolks that have the highest amounts of anti-mycotoxin antibodies will be collected and freeze-dried.
