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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 #424831
Research Project: Strategies to Reduce Mycotoxin Contamination in Animal Feed and its Effect in Poultry Production Systems

Location: Toxicology & Mycotoxin Research

Title: Interaction effect of mycotoxin-contaminated corn fines diet and heat stress on liver cytokines and jejunal nutrient transporter gene expression in broilers

Author
item ADEDOKUN, TAYO - University Of Kentucky
item Shanmugasundaram, Revathi
item SELVARAJ, RAMESH - University Of Georgia
item FORD, MIKE - University Of Kentucky
item JACOB, JACQUELINE - University Of Kentucky

Submitted to: Poultry Science Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/23/2025
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: N/A

Technical Abstract: Heat stress and mycotoxin-contaminated feed significantly impair broiler chicken growth performance, resulting in poor feed efficiency and compromised overall health. Hence, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of thermoneutral (TN: 29.4 oC) vs. cyclic heat stress (HS: 34 oC, 6 h/d from d 9-21); and mycotoxin-contaminated corn fines (CF) on cytokines and nutrient transporter gene expression in the liver and jejunum. The regular corn in the basal diet was replaced with 0, 33, 66, or 100% CF to produce the CF-containing diets. The analyzed concentration of mycotoxins in CF was deoxynivalenol-9.2 ppm, aflatoxin-6.0 ppb, total fumonisins-31.7 ppm, and zearalenone-2.1 ppm. A total of 384, 21-d-old male Cobb broilers were distributed into eight treatments in a 4 x 2 factorial arrangement consisting of 4 CF-based diets with or without HS (n=8). All birds were raised under thermoneutral temperature (32o C) for the first 9 d prior to exposure to HS. Liver samples and mid-jejunal mucosal scrapings were collected 12 d post-HS. Data were analyzed using the Proc GLM procedure in SAS software. There were significant diet ' temperature interactions that were observed (p < 0.05) for liver IL-1ß, IL-10, and IL-6 mRNA expression. Birds in the 0% CF-HS group had increased (p < 0.05) IL-1ß expression than the birds in the 0% CF-TN treatment. Birds on the 100% CF-TN treatment had higher (p < 0.05) IL-1ß mRNA expression in the liver compared to 0% of the CF-TN control group. Expression of liver IL-10 gene increased (p < 0.05) in the 66% CF-HS treatment group, compared to the 0% CF-TN control group. Similarly, birds fed diets containing 100% CF-HS group, the liver IL-6 gene expression significantly (p < 0.05) increased compared to the 0% of CF-TN control group. There were no significant interaction effects on liver HSP70 mRNA expression. However, among HS treatment groups, 66% and 100% CF groups had increased HSP70 mRNA expression by 2.5 fold (p < 0.05). There was a significant diet ' temperature effect on jejunal NaPi-IIb mRNA expression, where 0% CF-HS group had increased (p <0.05) NaPi-IIb expression, and HS did not alter NaPi-IIb expression among CF groups. There were significant interaction effects on jejunal Claudin-1 and SGLT-I mRNA expression (p < 0.05). Among the TN treatment groups, 66% CF-TN groups had increased claudin-1 mRNA expression compared to the 0% CF-TN control group. Among HS treatment groups, the expression of SGLT-1 was decreased (p < 0.05) in the 66% CF-HS group compared to 0% CF-HS group. In conclusion, the mycotoxin-contaminated diet altered liver cytokine expression and jejunal nutrient transporter gene expression when the birds were undergoing heat stress.