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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Toxicology & Mycotoxin Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #400068
Research Project: Strategies to Reduce Mycotoxin Contamination in Animal Feed and its Effect in Poultry Production Systems

Location: Toxicology & Mycotoxin Research

Title: Effect of combined doses of fumonisin, deoxynivalenol and zearalenone on production performance and amino acid digestibility in broiler chickens

Author
item Shanmugasundaram, Revathi
item DAVIS, MARY - Orise Fellow
item HAKEEM, AL WALID - University Of Georgia
item SHAHNA, FATHIMA - University Of Georgia
item BIKAS, SHAH - University Of Georgia
item Pokoo-Aikins, Anthony
item OLUYINKA, OLUKOSI - University Of Georgia
item APPLEGATE, TODD - University Of Georgia
item Glenn, Anthony - Tony

Submitted to: International Poultry Scientific Forum
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/5/2022
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Abstract Only

Technical Abstract: The individual tolerance levels of fumonisin (FUM) and deoxynivalenol (DON) in chicken diets are 50mg/kg and 5mg/kg, respectively. FUM, DON, and zearalenone (ZEN) mycotoxins typically co-occur in poultry feed ingredients and may exacerbate the effects of each other. Currently, poultry does not have any recommended tolerance level guidance for ZEN. The objective of this study is to identify the effects of subclinical doses of combined FUM, DON, and ZEN doses, below their individual recommendation levels, on production performances, digestibility, and immune parameters. A total of 960 one-day-old chicks were assigned to eight treatments. (1) Control diet (0.8mg FUM and 0.4mg DON) (2) 33mg FUM + 3mg DON +1.0mg ZEN; (3) 26mg FUM + 1.0mg DON + 0.2mg ZEN; (4) 14mg FUM + 3.5mg DON + 0.7mg ZEN; (5) 7.7mg FUM + 0.4mg DON + 0.1mg ZEN; (6) 3.6mg FUM + 2.5mg DON + 0.9mg ZEN; (7) 0.8mg FUM + 1.0mg DON + 0.3mg ZEN; and (8) 1mg FUM + 0.5mg DON + 0.1mg ZEN per kg diet. Each treatment had 6 replicates with 20 birds per pen. Birds in all the treatment groups received coccidial vaccine at d0. At d35, birds in the 33mg FUM + 3mg DON + 1.0mg ZEN group had a significantly lower BWG (P = 0.05) and increased FCR by 12 points compared to those in the control group. Birds in the 3.6mg FUM + 2.5mg DON + 0.9mg ZEN group had no significant (P > 0.05) loss in BWG and FCR compared to the control group. At d21, splenic macrophages from birds in the 33mg FUM + 3mg DON + 1.0mg ZEN groups had significantly decreased nitric oxide production (P < 0.05) compared to that in the control group. At d21, birds in the 21mg FUM + 3mg DON + 1.0mg ZEN groups had significantly decreased digestibility for aspartic acid and serine (P < 0.05); tended to have decreased (P < 0.10) digestibility for threonine, glutamine, and tyrosine compared to the control. Further, at d21, birds in the 21mg FUM + 3mg DON + 1.0mg ZEN group had an increased (P < 0.05) serum FITC-D concentration (a measure of gut integrity). In summary, broilers fed diets contaminated with 33mg FUM along with 3mg DON and 1.0mg ZEN/kg diet had decreased growth performance, decreased amino acid digestibility, and a loss in gut integrity. It can be concluded that broiler birds are sensitive to the presence of multiple mycotoxins, and tolerance levels of individual mycotoxins decrease when multiple mycotoxins are present in the feed.