Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-jr42d Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T11:36:10.343Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of two different blends of naturally mycotoxin-contaminated maize meal on growth and metabolic profile in replacement heifers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

F. Abeni ,
L. Migliorati ,
G. M. Terzano ,
M. Capelletti ,
A. Gallo ,
F. Masoero  and
G. Pirlo
F. Abeni*
Affiliation:
Consiglio per la Ricerca e la Sperimentazione in Agricoltura (Centro di Ricerca per le Produzioni Foraggere e Lattiero-casearie), Via Porcellasco 7, 26100 Cremona, Italy
L. Migliorati
Affiliation:
Consiglio per la Ricerca e la Sperimentazione in Agricoltura (Centro di Ricerca per le Produzioni Foraggere e Lattiero-casearie), Via Porcellasco 7, 26100 Cremona, Italy
G. M. Terzano
Affiliation:
Consiglio per la Ricerca e la Sperimentazione in Agricoltura (Centro di Ricerca per la Produzione delle Carni e il Miglioramento Genetico), Via Salaria 31, 00016 Monterotondo (RM), Italy
M. Capelletti
Affiliation:
Consiglio per la Ricerca e la Sperimentazione in Agricoltura (Centro di Ricerca per le Produzioni Foraggere e Lattiero-casearie), Via Porcellasco 7, 26100 Cremona, Italy
A. Gallo
Affiliation:
Feed and Food Science and Nutrition Institute, Faculty of Agriculture, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
F. Masoero
Affiliation:
Feed and Food Science and Nutrition Institute, Faculty of Agriculture, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
G. Pirlo
Affiliation:
Consiglio per la Ricerca e la Sperimentazione in Agricoltura (Centro di Ricerca per le Produzioni Foraggere e Lattiero-casearie), Via Porcellasco 7, 26100 Cremona, Italy
*
†E-mail: fabiopalmiro.abeni@entecra.it
Get access

Abstract

The aim of this trial was to assess the effects of the administration of different combinations of mycotoxins in naturally contaminated maize grains on dairy heifer growth, blood measurements and puberty onset. A total of 35 Friesian female heifers were randomly allotted to three experimental groups from 18–21 to 42–45 weeks of age. During the 24-week experimental period (EP), heifers were fed the same diet, but with maize meal derived from three differently contaminated lots: very low contamination, as control (C); medium–low aflatoxin-contaminated (A); and mixed aflatoxin–fumonisin contaminated (A-F). At the end of the EP, they returned to a common diet without contaminated maize, and they were monitored for an additional period of 12 weeks (post-experimental period, PEP). BW, wither height, hip height, body length and heart girth were measured every 4 weeks from the beginning of EP to the end of PEP. At the same time, body condition score was evaluated and blood samples were taken from the jugular vein to be analysed for haematological, serum protein and metabolic profiles. Age at puberty was assessed by measuring weekly plasma progesterone levels from 40 to 52 weeks of age. Body growth measurements were processed both by ANOVA of average daily gain of EP and PEP separately, and by the analysis of growth curve parameters. Haematological, serum protein and metabolic profile were evaluated using a mixed model, taking into account the repeated measurements in time on each animal. Heifers’ growth was delayed both in A and A-F groups during EP, as evidenced by the different linear coefficients of the BW growth curve in the three groups. Differently contaminated diets did not affect the haematological profile, so that it can be concluded that these levels of mycotoxin contamination do not determine any specific effect on haematopoiesis and immunity in growing heifers. The main blood marker of mycotoxin chronic toxicity was the γ-glutamyl transferase activity level in plasma, which appeared to be altered even after the removal of mycotoxins. During EP, plasma glucose was lower in the groups fed contaminated diet compared with C. The joint actions of an altered nutritional status and a long-lasting liver damage were probably the causes of the delay in puberty attainment in A and, particularly, in the A-F group. The results from this trial evidenced that a chronic aflatoxin–fumonisin contamination in diets of dairy heifers can determine an important delay in the reproductive career of these animals.

Keywords

haematologyheifermetabolic profilemycotoxinpuberty
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 8 , Issue 10 , October 2014 , pp. 1667 - 1676
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abeni, F, Calamari, L, Stefanini, L and Pirlo, G 2000. Effects of daily gain in pre- and postpubertal replacement dairy heifers on body condition score, body size, metabolic profile, and future milk production. Journal of Dairy Science 83, 1468–1478.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Abeni, F, Calamari, L, Stefanini, L and Pirlo, G 2012a. Effect of average daily gain on body size, metabolism, and milk production of Italian Holstein heifers raised on two different planes of nutrition and calving at two different ages. Livestock Science 149, 7–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abeni, F, Bergoglio, G, Masoero, G, Terzano, GM and Borghese, A 2003. Feeding treatments of Valdostana Red Pied heifers in order to reduce age at first calving in comparison to the traditional management system. Livestock Production Science 81, 149–159.Google Scholar
Abeni, F, Federici, C, Speroni, M, Petrera, F, Pisacane, V, Terzano, GM, Capelletti, M, Pirlo, G and Aleandri, R 2012b. Body growth, hematological profile, and clinical biochemistry of heifer calves sired by a bull or its clone. Theriogenology 78, 542–559.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baker, DC and Rottinghaus, GE 1999. Chronic experimental fumonisin intoxication of calves. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation 11, 289–292.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Diekman, MA and Green, ML 1992. Mycotoxins and reproduction in domestic livestock. Journal of Animal Science 70, 1615–1627.Google Scholar
Dilkin, P, Zorzete, P, Mallmann, CA, Gomes, JDF, Utiyama, CE, Oetting, LL and Corrêa, B 2003. Toxicological effects of chronic low doses of aflatoxin B1 and fumonisin B1-containing Fusarium moniliforme culture material in weaned piglets. Food and Chemical Toxicology 41, 1345–1353.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edrington, TS, Harvey, RB and Kubena, LF 1994. Effect of aflatoxin in growing lambs fed ruminally degradable or escape protein sources. Journal of Animal Science 72, 1274–1281.Google Scholar
European Commission 2003. Commission Directive of 31 October 2003 amending Annex I to Directive 2002/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on undesirable substances in animal feed (Text with EEA relevance), 2003/100/EC. Official Journal of the European Communities L285, 33–37.Google Scholar
Fink-Gremmels, J and Malekinejad, H 2007. Clinical effects and biochemical mechanisms associated with exposure to the mycoestrogen zearalenone. Animal Feed Science and Technology 137, 326–341.Google Scholar
Gallo, A and Masoero, F 2010. In vitro models to evaluate the capacity of different sequestering agents to adsorb aflatoxins. Italian Journal of Animal Science 9, 109–116.Google Scholar
Gelderblom, WC, Lebepe-Mazur, S, Snijman, PW, Abel, S, Swanevelder, S, Kriek, NP and Marasas, WF 2001. Toxicological effects in rats chronically fed low dietary levels of fumonisin B1 . Toxicology 161, 39–51.Google Scholar
Lynch, GP, Todd, GC, Shalkop, WT and Moore, LA 1970. Responses of dairy calves to aflatoxin-contaminated feed. Journal of Dairy Science 53, 63–71.Google Scholar
Lynch, GP, Smith, DF, Covey, FC and Gordon, CH 1973. Aflatoxin and nitrogen balance in the young calf. Journal of Dairy Science 56, 1154–1158.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lynch, GP, Shalkop, WT, Jacoby, NM, Smith, DF and Miller, RW 1971. Responses of dairy calves to oral doses of aflatoxin. Journal of Dairy Science 54, 1688–1698.Google Scholar
Martin, LM, Wood, KM, McEwen, PL, Smith, TK, Mandell, IB, Yannikouris, A and Swanson, KC 2010. Effects of feeding corn naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins and/or a modified yeast cell wall extract on the performance, immunity and carcass characteristics of grain-fed veal calves. Animal Feed Science and Technology 159, 27–34.Google Scholar
Masoero, F, Gallo, A, Moschini, M, Piva, G and Diaz, D 2007. Carryover of aflatoxin from feed to milk in dairy cows with low or high somatic cell counts. Animal 1, 1344–1350.Google Scholar
Masoero, F, Gallo, A, Diaz, D, Piva, G and Moschini, M 2009. Effects of the procedure of inclusion of a sequestering agent in the total mixed ration on proportional aflatoxin M1 excretion into milk of lactating dairy cows. Animal Feed Science and Technology 150, 34–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mathur, S, Constable, PD, Eppley, RM, Waggoner, AL, Tumbleson, ME and Haschek, WM 2001. Fumonisin B1 is hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic in milk-fed calves. Toxicological Sciences 60, 385–396.Google Scholar
National Research Council 2001. Nutrient requirements of dairy cattle (7th revised edition. Natl. Acad. Sci., Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Osweiler, GD, Kehrli, ME, Stabel, JR, Thurston, JR, Ross, PF and Wilson, TM 1993. Effects of fumonisin-contaminated corn screenings on growth and health of feeder calves. Journal of Animal Science 71, 459–466.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parent-Massin, D 2004. Haematotoxicity of trichothecenes. Toxicology Letters 153, 75–81.Google Scholar
Piccione, G, Borruso, M, Giannetto, C, Morgante, M and Giudice, E 2007. Assessement of oxidative stress in dry and lactating cows. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A – Animal Science 57, 101–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pietri, A, Bertuzzi, T, Pallaroni, L and Piva, G 2004. Occurrence of mycotoxins and ergosterol in maize harvested over 5 years in Northern Italy. Food Additives and Contaminants 21, 479–487.Google Scholar
Placinta, CM, D’Mello, JPF and Macdonald, AMC 1999. A review of worldwide contamination of cereal grains and animal feed with Fusarium mycotoxins. Animal Feed Science and Technology 78, 21–37.Google Scholar
Sejrsen, K and Purup, S 1997. Influence of prepubertal feeding level on milk yield potential of dairy heifers: a review. Journal of Animal Science 75, 828–835.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Speijers, GJA and Speijers, MHM 2004. Combined toxic effects of mycotoxins. Toxicology Letters 153, 91–98.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Streit, E, Schatzmayr, G, Tassis, P, Tzika, E, Marin, D, Taranu, I, Tabuc, C, Nicolau, A, Aprodu, I, Puel, O and Oswald, IP 2012. Current situation of mycotoxin contamination and co-occurrence in animal feed – focus on Europe. Toxins 4, 788–809.Google Scholar
Swamy, HV, Smith, TK, MacDonald, EJ, Boermans, HJ and Squires, EJ 2002. Effects of feeding a blend of grains naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins on swine performance, brain regional neurochemistry, and serum chemistry and the efficacy of a polymeric glucomannan mycotoxin adsorbent. Journal of Animal Science 80, 3257–3267.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sweeney, MJ and Dobson, ADW 1998. Mycotoxin production by Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium species. International Journal of Food Microbiology 43, 141–158.Google Scholar
Takahashi, M, Shibutani, M, Sugita-Konishi, Y, Aihara, M, Inoue, K, Woo, G-H, Fujimoto, H and Hirose, M 2008. A 90-day subchronic toxicity study of nivalenol, a trichothecene mycotoxin, in F344 rats. Food and Chemical Toxicology 46, 125–135.Google Scholar
Tanaka, M, Kamiya, Y, Kamiya, M, Shioya, S and Nakai, Y 2007. Antiradical function of sulfhydryl residues and oxidative stress markers in dairy cattle plasma. Animal Science Journal 78, 61–65.Google Scholar
Tripathi, MK, Mondal, D and Karim, SA 2008. Growth, haematology, blood constituents and immunological status of lambs fed graded levels of animal feed grade damaged wheat as substitute of maize. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 92, 75–85.Google Scholar
Turk, JR and Casteel, SW 1997. Clinical biochemistry in toxicology. In Clinical biochemistry of domestic animals (ed. JJ Kaneko, JW Harvey and ML Bruss), Chapter 28, 5th edition, pp. 829–843. Academic Press, San Diego, CA.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Supplementary material

To view supplementary material for this article, please visit

Download Supplementary material(File)
File 50.7 KB