Individual and Combined Toxicity of T-2 Toxin and Cyclopiazonic Acid in Broiler Chicks

Abstract

The effects of feeding 6 mg T-2 toxin (T-2) and 34 mg cyclopiazonic acid (CPA)/kg of diet singly and in combination were characterized in male broiler chicks from 1 d to 3 wk of age. Body weights were depressed by T-2, CPA, and the combination of T-2 and CPA. There was a significant synergistic interaction between T-2 and CPA for relative liver and kidney weights and serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations and a significant interaction between T-2 and CPA for 3-wk body weights and relative bursa of Fabricius weights, which were less than additive. Neither the efficiency of feed utilization nor mortality was affected by dietary treatments. Oral lesions were present in a majority of the chicks fed diets containing T-2 with or without CPA. When compared with controls, other variables measured exhibited additive or less than additive toxicity. These data demonstrate that T-2 and CPA alone and in combination can cause reduced performance and adversely affect broiler health. The effects of these mycotoxins may be exacerbated by other factors when under field conditions; hence, the potential detrimental effects of these two mycotoxins when present alone or in combination cannot be dismissed.

Influence of Fumonisin B1, Present in Fusarium moniliforme Culture Material, and T-2 Toxin on Turkey Poults

“…These data are consistent with the effects in poultry as indicated by Kubena et al (1994b), although some of the effects such as decreased relative bursa weight, decreased serum concentrations of total protein, albumin, glucose, and hematolog-ical changes reported by other researchers were not observed in the present study.…”

Cyclopiazonic Acid Biosynthesis of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus oryzae

“…The feeding of CPA (34 mg/kg) and T-2 toxin (6 mg/kg) also caused reduced performance and adversely affected the health of broiler chickens [75]. A synergistic interaction between CPA and T-2 for relative liver and kidney weights, serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations was observed.…”

An industry perspective on the use of “atoxigenic” strains ofAspergillus flavusas biological control agents and the significance of cyclopiazonic acid

“…Studies to evaluate the mammalian and avian toxicity of CPA have been conducted in various species including rats (Purchase, 1971; Morrissey et al, 1985; Norred et al, 1985), mice (Nishie et al, 1987), chickens (Dorner et al, 1983; Norred et al, 1988; Kubena et al., 1994; Balachandran and Parthasarathy, 1996a; Gentles et al, 1999; Kamalavenkatesh et al, 2005, Venkatesh et al, 2005; Kumar and Balachandran, 2009; Malekinejad et al, 2010), dogs (Nuehring et al, 1985), and pigs (Lomax et al, 1984), and several comprehensive reviews of the toxicology are available (Burdock and Flamm, 2000; Chang et al, 2009a). At this time, there are no published studies regarding chronic toxicity of CPA in any animal species, and there are very few toxicity studies of any kind in most species.…”

“…There are few available studies and no routine surveys for the presence of CPA in grains or other commodities, in part because of the lack of regulatory requirements for testing, the relative difficulty of the analytical methods used in its detection (Moldes-Anaya et al, 2009; Diaz et al, 2010), and probably also in part because many researchers have concluded, despite the dearth of data, that CPA is a relatively “benign” toxin, that it is not likely to be present in sufficient concentrations in food or feed to pose a significant problem or that efforts to reduce aflatoxin contamination will indirectly result in reductions in CPA contamination (Byrem et al, 1999; Burdock and Flamm, 2000; Chang et al, 2009a). Other researchers have expressed concern that the potential for harm to humans or animals from exposure to CPA has not been adequately evaluated or addressed (Stoltz et al, 1988; Dorner et al, 1994; Kubena et al., 1994; Balachandran and Parthasarathy, 1996b; Prasongsidh et al, 1997; Kumar and Balachandran, 2009) and several studies have demonstrated the presence of CPA in food and feed items sampled from various locations around the world, sometimes at levels in the range of 2.8 to 12 μg/g (Stolz et al, 1988; Widiastuti et al, 1988; Urano et al, 1992; Balachandran and Parthasarathy, 1996b). This risk becomes more serious when CPA-producing “atoxigenic” strains are intentionally applied to a major food and feed crop such as maize, under conditions that favor colonization of the plant by the introduced strain.…”