Assessment of the potential of a boron–fructose additive in counteracting the toxic effect of Fusarium mycotoxins

• Published in: British journal of nutrition 2011-08, Vol.106 (3), p.398-407
• Main Authors: Taranu, Ionelia, Marin, Daniela E., Manda, Gina, Motiu, Monica, Neagoe, Ionela, Tabuc, Cristina, Stancu, Mariana, Olteanu, Margareta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Feed; Animals; Antidotes - pharmacology; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight - drug effects; Borates - pharmacology; Boron; Boron - pharmacology; calcium; cell proliferation; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Corn; Cytokines - biosynthesis; deoxynivalenol; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Feeds; Food Additives; Food Contamination; Food contamination & poisoning; Fructose - analogs & derivatives; Fructose - pharmacology; fumonisins; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungi; Fusarium; Glycine max; granulocytes; Granulocytes - drug effects; Granulocytes - metabolism; Hogs; humans; Immune response; Immunity - drug effects; Immunity - physiology; immunoglobulin G; immunoglobulin M; Immunoglobulins - blood; interleukin-1beta; interleukin-8; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - drug effects; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - metabolism; Mycotoxins; Nutritional Immunology; piglets; Respiratory Burst - drug effects; Swine; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - drug effects; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - metabolism; toxicity; Toxins; Trichothecenes - adverse effects; tumor necrosis factor-alpha; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Zea mays; zearalenone
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1017/S0007114511000341

Trichotecenes are mycotoxins produced by Fusarium sp., which may contaminate animal feeds and human food. A feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of a fusarotoxin-contaminated diet, and to explore the counteracting potential of a calcium fructoborate (CFrB) additive on performance, typical health biochemistry parameters and immune response in weaned pigs. A naturally contaminated maize, containing low doses of deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, fumonisins and T-2/HT-2 toxins (1790, 20, 0·6 and 90 parts per billion), was included in a maize–soyabean meal diet, and given ad libitum to eight weaned piglets (two groups: four pigs/group) for a period of 24 d. CFrB was administered to one of the contaminated groups and to another four piglets as a daily supplement, following the manufacturer's recommendation. A decrease in performance was observed in contaminated animals at this concentration of feed toxins, which was ameliorated by the dietary CFrB supplementation. Fusarium toxins also altered the pig immune response by increasing (P