The Effect of Combined Exposure of Fusarium Mycotoxins on Lipid Peroxidation, Antioxidant Defense, Fatty Acid Profile, and Histopathology in Laying Hens' Liver

• Published in: Toxins 2024-04, Vol.16 (4), p.179
• Main Authors: Kulcsár, Szabina, Turbók, Janka, Kövér, György, Balogh, Krisztián, Zándoki, Erika, Gömbös, Patrik, Ali, Omeralfaroug, Szabó, András, Mézes, Miklós
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Feed - analysis; Animals; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - metabolism; Chickens; Composition; Cytoplasm; Deoxynivalenol; Exposure; Fatty acid composition; Fatty Acids; Female; Free radicals; Fumonisin B1; Fusarium; glutathione; Histopathology; Lipid peroxidation; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; Lipids; Liver; Liver - drug effects; Liver - metabolism; Liver - pathology; Mycotoxins; Mycotoxins - toxicity; Oxidative stress; Peroxidation; Phospholipids; Polyunsaturated fatty acids; Poultry; T-2 toxin; Toxins
• ISSN: 2072-6651; 2072-6651
• DOI: 10.3390/toxins16040179

Fumonisin B1, T-2 toxin, and deoxynivalenol are frequently detected in feed materials. The mycotoxins induce free radical formation and, thereby, lipid peroxidation. The effects of mycotoxin exposure at the EU recommended limit (T-2/HT-2 toxin: 0.25 mg/kg; DON = 3AcDON/15-AScDON: 5 mg/kg; fumonisin B1: 20 mg/kg) and double dose (T-2/HT-2 toxin: 0.5 mg/kg, DON/3-AcDON/15-AcDON: 10 mg, and FB1: 40 mg/kg feed) were investigated during short-term (3 days) exposure in the liver of laying hens. On day 1 higher while on day 3 lower MDA concentrations were found in the low-dose group compared to the control. Fatty acid composition also changed: the proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids increased ( < 0.05) and the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids decreased by day 3. These alterations resulted in a decrease in the index of unsaturation and average fatty acid chain length. Histopathological alterations suggested that the incidence and severity of liver lesions were higher in the mycotoxin-treated laying hens, and the symptoms correlated with the fatty acid profile of total phospholipids. Overall, the findings revealed that mycotoxin exposure, even at the EU-recommended limits, induced lipid peroxidation in the liver, which led to changes in fatty acid composition, matched with tissue damage.