Effect of dietary T-2 fusariotoxin concentrations on the health and production of white Pekin duck broilers.
The effects of different dietary levels of T-2 toxin on production, biological, immunological, and pathological parameters of growing white Pekin ducks were studied to establish the "no effect" dietary concentration of, and "no effect" exposure time to, pure T-2 toxin. Day-old white Pekin ducks were randomly allotted to nine groups of 10 ducks each. One group served as a control, and no mycotoxin was added to its feed. The feeds of the experimental groups were supplemented with 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 mg purified T-2 toxin/kg, respectively, from Day 1 until Day 49 of the experiment. Dermatotoxic oral lesions developed in most experimental ducks within 2 d after the start of feeding T-2 toxin-contaminated feeds. The gradual disappearance of macroscopic signs indicated the development of tolerance in groups treated with the lower T-2 toxin content. No repair was found in the 3 and 4 mg/kg groups. Dietary concentrations of T-2 toxin below 0.4 mg/kg had no effect on the average weekly weight gain in the first 6 wk, but a severe decrease was found in the last week of the experiment. The 0.6 mg/kg dietary T-2 toxin had no effect on weight gain in the first 3 wk. At Week 4 and later, the weekly weight gain was significantly reduced, and the final live weight of this group was also significantly lower than that of the control. Dietary T-2 concentrations of 1 mg/kg and greater uniformly depressed growth rate. Only the 3 and 4 mg/kg groups refused feed during the first week. From Week 3 on, the feed intakes of the 0.6 to 4 mg/kg groups were usually less than that of the control group, indicating feed refusal. Serum and plasma chemical values and hematological parameters failed to show dose-dependent effects. The blastogenic response of lymphocytes to nonspecific and specific mitogens was distinctly impaired by the T-2 toxin at all levels in the feed. In the 3 and 4 mg/kg groups, the histological examination revealed lymphocyte depletion in the spleen and bursa of Fabricius.
Rafai
P
P
Department of Animal Hygiene, Szent István University, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Budapest, Hungary. prafai@univet.hu
Pettersson
H
H
Bata
A
A
Papp
Z
Z
Glávits
R
R
Tuboly
S
S
Ványi
A
A
Soós
P
P
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004372:Ducks / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D009055:Mouth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D010159:Palate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D013605:T-2 Toxin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D014059:Tongue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology
D013605:T-2 Toxin