ORIGINAL PAPER
On the effects of deoxynivalenol (DON) in pig feed
on growth performance, nutrients utilization and
DON metabolism
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1
Institute of Animal Nutrition, Federal Agricultural Research Centre (FAL),
Bundesallee 50, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany
2
Institute of Nutrition, Veterinary University of Vienna,
Veterinärplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
Publication date: 2004-10-25
Corresponding author
S. Dänicke
Institute of Animal Nutrition, Federal Agricultural Research Centre (FAL),
Bundesallee 50, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany
J. Anim. Feed Sci. 2004;13(4):539-556
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Control wheat and wheat artificially inoculated with Fusarium culmorum and as well as wheat
contaminated mainly with deoxynivalenol (DON) were gradually blended to yield diets for pigs
with increasing DON concentrations (0.2, 0.7, 1.2, 2.5, 3.7 mg/kg) at a total wheat content of 400 g/kg diet. Performance was recorded over a liveweight range between 34 and 104 kg (n=l 8 per group).
Blood was drawn from the jugular vein after five weeks on the experimental diets to determine the
clinical-chemical parameters and DON concentrations. In addition, a balance study was carried out
with the groups fed the diets with the lowest and the highest DON concentration to test the effects on
nutrient digestibility and DON metabolism. DON and its metabolite de-epoxy-DON were analysed
in physiological samples by HPLC after cleanup by immuno-affinity columns (IAC).
Performance of pigs was not significantly affected by increasing dietary DON concentrations,
although there was a trend toward a decrease in weight. This was especially true for the group fed
the diet with 3.7 mg DON/kg, which consumed 5% less feed and gained 8% less liveweight than the
control group. Serum clinical-chemical parameters, such as albumin, total protein, GLDH, ASAT,
γ-GT and immunoglobulins were not influenced by the dietary treatments. DON concentration in
serum increased in a dose-response-related manner and did clearly reflect the DON exposure of the
animals. However, adverse effects on performance were only obvious for the group fed the diet with
the highest DON concentration.
No significant differences were found for nutrient digestibility of the tested diets. With regard to
the DON balance and metabolism, urine was the main excretory route. A total of 52.3% of the ingested
DON was eliminated as the parent toxin whereas 2.6% was excreted as the metabolite de-epoxy-
DON in the group fed the diet with 3.7 mg DON/kg. The excretion of both substances accounted for approximately 98% of the total DON recovery from urine and faeces, which indicates the important
role of the urinary elimination route. De-epoxy-DON accounted for approximately 5% of the urinary
excretion of de-epoxy-DON plus DON, whereas in faeces a ratio of approximately 97% was found,
which underlines the role of the digestive tract in the metabolism of DON in the pig.
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