Fumonisin B1, B2 and B3 in Muscle and Liver of Broiler Chickens and Turkey Poults Fed with Diets Containing Fusariotoxins at the EU Maximum Tolerable Level

Abstract

Although provisional maximum tolerable daily intake and recommended guidelines have been established for fumonisins (FB) in food, few data are available concerning levels of FB in edible animal tissues. Such data are of particular interest in avian species that can tolerate relatively high levels of fumonisins in their feed. Also, even if multiple contamination of animal feed by toxins produced by Fusarium is very frequent, little is known about the consequences of multiple contamination for FB levels in tissues. The aim of this study was to analyze the concentrations of FB in the muscle and liver of chickens and turkeys fed with FB alone and with FB combined with deoxynivalenol (DON), and with zearalenone (ZEN). Experimental diets were formulated by incorporating ground cultured toxigenic Fusarium strains in corn-soybean based feeds. Control diets were free of mycotoxins, FB diets contained 20 mg FB1+FB2/kg, and FBDONZEN diets contained 20, 5, and 0.5 mg/kg of FB1+FB2, DON, and ZEN, respectively. Animals were reared in individual cages with free access to water and feed. The feed was distributed to male Ross chickens from the 1st to the 35th day of age and to male Grade Maker turkeys from the 55th to the 70th day of age. On the last day of the study, the birds were starved for eight hours, killed, and autopsied for tissues sampling. No sign of toxicity was observed. A UHPLC-MS/MS method with isotopic dilution and immunoaffinity clean-up of samples has been developed for analysis of FB in muscle (n = 8 per diet) and liver (n = 8 per diet). Only traces of FB that were below the LOQ of 0.25 µg/kg were found in most of the samples of animals fed with the control diets. Mean concentrations of FB1, FB2, and FB3 in muscle were 17.5, 3.39, and 1.26 µg/kg, respectively, in chickens, and 5.77, 1.52, and 0.54 µg/kg in turkeys, respectively. In the liver, the respective FB1, FB2, and FB3 concentrations were 44.7, 2.61, and 0.79 µg/kg in chickens, and 41.47, 4.23, and 1.41 µg/kg, in turkeys. Cumulated level of FB1+FB2+FB3 in the highly contaminated samples were above 60 and 100 µg/kg in muscle and liver, respectively. The concentrations of FB in the tissues of animals fed the FBDONZEN diet did not greatly differ from the concentrations measured in animals fed the diet containing only FB.

Toxic Effects of Fumonisins, Deoxynivalenol and Zearalenone Alone and in Combination in Ducks Fed the Maximum EUTolerated Level

“…This result confirms that FB1 can be found in the liver of different poultry species exposed to FB in diets at the maximum tolerated level defined by the EU [ 10 , 29 , 42 , 43 , 44 ]. The feed:liver ratio of FB observed in ducks agrees with previous works conducted in this animal species and was below than the feed:liver ratio of FB observed in chickens and turkeys [ 10 , 29 , 42 , 43 ]. The concomitant exposure to DON and ZEN combined with FB did not alter the concentration of FB found in liver compared to ducks exposed to FB alone.…”

“…FB1, FB2 and FB3 were above the LOQ in the liver of ducks exposed to 20 mg FB1+FB2/kg feed. This result confirms that FB1 can be found in the liver of different poultry species exposed to FB in diets at the maximum tolerated level defined by the EU [10,29,[42][43][44]. The feed:liver ratio of FB observed in ducks agrees with previous works conducted in this animal species and was below than the feed:liver ratio of FB observed in chickens and turkeys [10,29,42,43].…”

“…The concentration of mycotoxins in the liver was analyzed by UHPLC-MSMS after sample clean-up on immunoaffinity column and isotopic dilution, as previously described [ 29 , 30 ]. The UHPLC MSMS system was a 1260 model, the detector was a 6410 triple quad, both from Agilent (Agilent, Santa Clara, CA, USA).…”

“…The method used to measure FB in liver was previously described [ 29 ]. Briefly, one g of liver was homogenized in 4 mL of distilled water acetonitrile/methanol (2:1:1) in presence of 5 mg of NaCl and 12.5 ng of [ 13 C 34 ]-FB1 and [ 13 C 34 ]-FB2 as IS.…”

“…But because chickens and turkeys are known for their relatively high tolerance to FUS in their diet, the lack of toxic interaction does not mean these interactions do not occur in other species [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. In addition, studies on chickens and turkeys suggest that multiple contamination of feed by FUS could alter the persistence of the toxins in tissues and that these changes may differ with the toxin and the species [ 29 , 30 ]. Because ducks are more sensitive to the toxic effects of FUS than broilers and turkeys, a study of the toxic effects and persistence of FB, DON and ZEN, alone and in combination in ducks, could reveal interactions that have not been observed in chickens and turkeys [ 9 , 10 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ].…”