Abstract
BACKGROUND: The current study was carried out to evaluate the effects of mycotoxin biodegradation agent (MBA, composed of Bacillus subtilis ANSB01G and Devosia sp. ANSB714) on relieving zearalenone (ZEA) and deoxynivalenol (DON) toxicosis in immature gilts. METHODS: A total of forty pre-pubertal female gilts (61.42 ± 1.18 kg) were randomly allocated to four diet treatments: CO (positive control); MO (negative control, ZEA 596.86 μg/kg feed and DON 796 μg/kg feed); COA (CO + 2 g MBA/kg feed); MOA (MO + 2 g MBA/kg feed). Each treatment contained 10 replicates with 1 gilt per replicate. Gilts were housed in an environmentally controlled room with the partially slatted floor. RESULTS: During the entire experimental period of 28 d, average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) of gilts in MO group was significantly reduced compared with those in CO group. The vulva size of gilts was significantly higher in MO group than CO group. In addition, significant increases in the plasma levels of IgA, IgG, IL-8, IL-10 and PRL were determined in MO group compared with that in CO group. ZEA and DON in the diet up-regulated apoptotic caspase-3 in ovaries and uteri, along with down-regulated the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 in ovaries. The supplementation of MBA into diets co-contaminated with ZEA and DON significantly increased ADG, decreased the vulva sizes, reduced the levels of IgG, IL-8 and PRL in plasma, and regulated apoptosis in ovaries and uteri of gilts. CONCLUSIONS: The present results indicated that feeding diet contaminated with ZEA and DON simultaneously (596.86 μg/kg + 796 μg/kg) had detrimental effects on growth performance, plasma immune function and reproductive status of gilts. And MBA could reduce the negative impacts of these two toxins, believed as a promising feed additive for mitigating toxicosis of ZEA and DON at low levels in gilts.