Impact of graded dietary fumonisin contamination levels on the growth performance and selected health indices of turbot (Psetta maxima)

ABSTRACT

A common problem that arises from the use of plant ingredients is the presence of mycotoxins. The plant meals with more potential to be used in turbot diets have a natural tendency to be contaminated by fumonisins (FUM). Psetta maxima fed: FUM 1.0, FUM 2.0 and FUM 5.0 mg kg⁻¹ diets showed a significantly lower final mean body weight, specific growth rate and protein efficiency ratio, and a concomitantly higher feed conversion ratio, than those fed the Control or FUM 0.5 diet. At dietary concentrations of 1 to 5 mg kg⁻¹, FUMs caused a reduction of the brush border villi length in the distal intestine and a reduction of hepatic lipid inclusion. In conclusion, dietary FUM contamination over the course of 63 days, lead to significant damaging effects on the overall growth performance, nutrient retention, organ morphology and immune status of turbot.

KEYWORDS:

• Mycotoxins
• growth suppression
• immune suppression
• decreased villi length
• decreased hepatic lipid inclusion

Acknowledgments

We thank our colleagues at BIOMIN, Dr. Christiane Gruber-Dorninger and MSc. Caroline Noonan for the helpful discussions and critical reviewing of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The in vivo trial was sponsored by Biomin Holding GmbH to SPAROS Lda., Portugal. Experiments were executed at RiaSearch under supervision of Jorge Dias and Renata Serradeiro. All experimental treatments were blind tested and data generated on the experiment were delivered to BIOMIN in Excel files. BIOMIN Holding GmbH, had no involvement in the collection of the experimental data. The experimental design was from the responsibility of Rui A. Gonçalves and Dian Schatzmayr. Analysis, writing, statistical treatment and interpretation of the data, was the responsibility of R. A. Gonçalves. All authors have approved the final article and contributed to its revision.

Ethical responsibilities of authors

The trial was conducted at the experimental facilities of RIASEARCH (Aveiro, Portugal) by trained technical staff (accredited according to FELASA Function B: designing procedures and projects; Function C: taking care of animals) under the full responsibility of trained scientists (accredited according to FELASA Function A: carrying out procedures on animals) according to the EU guidelines on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes (Directive 2010/63/).