Effects of feeding naturally contaminated diet with zearalenone, fumonisin and deoxynivalenol with or without yeast cell wall adsorbent on growth, vulva size and organ weights of gilts

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of feeding naturally contaminated diet with Fusarium mycotoxins with or without yeast cell wall (YCW) on growth, vulva size, serum protein chemistry and organ weights of gilts. Forty gilts (8.33 ± 0.96 kg) were fed for 30 days four different diets: 1. control, 2. naturally contaminated diet (NCD), 3. naturally contaminated diet + 0.10% YCW, 4. naturally contaminated diet + 0.25% YCW. After 30 days of feeding with NCD diet average daily gain (ADG), feed conversion ratio, final body weight, serum albumin concentration and relative weight of liver were reduced (P < 0.05) in comparison to control group. In contrast, vulva size and relative weight of genital organs were increased (P < 0.05) by mycotoxins. The 0.25% YCW addition diminished the NCD negative effect on ADG, albumin concentration, and liver and genital organs weights throughout 30 days (P < 0.05). The lower YCW addition reversed only the negative effect of mycotoxins on liver weight. The vulva length was decreased by higher YCW dose but only at day 12. The addition of YCW could not ameliorate the enlarged vulva width and vulva area caused by mycotoxins. Based on the obtained results, it was showed that Fusarium mycotoxins lead to pernicious effects for gilts, but YCW addition to the diet can to some extent effectively ameliorate these detrimental mycotoxins effects.