Growth indices and haematological parameters of weanling pigs fed dietary fumonisin B1

Abstract

The effects of dietary fumonism B₁ (FB₁), an environmental mycotoxin produced by fungi of the genus Fusarium, on performance  and haematological parameters was investigated using 24 male Large White weanling pigs. The animals were divided into four groups, with six animals per group. Each group received one of the four diets containing approximately 0.20, 5.0, 10.0 and 15.0 mg FB₁/kg constituting diets 1 - 4 respectively, in a completely randomized design. Blood sample was collected from each of the ear vein of each animal at the end of the 4- month feeding trial for haematological analysis. Lower feed intake and a non-significant (P>0.05), but FB₁ concentration-dependent decrease in live and daily weight gains in animal fed diets 2, 3, and 4 were observed. Also, dietary FB₁ generally ahd significant influence on haematological parameters. The daily and the final live weight gains of animals fed diet 4 were 92.3 and 92.6% respectively, of the control values. Animals fed diets containing 10 and 15 mg FB₁/kg suffered significantly (P<0.05) reduced erythrogenesis, while only animals fed the diet containing the highest FB₁ concentration suffered significantly (P<0.05) reduced concentration of red blood cells and reduced anaemia, with impaired respiratory capacity. The investigation demonstrated that dietary FB₁ concentration above 5.0 mg/kg is a potential health risk that may induce adverse physiological response, which can be assesses using haematological parameters in growing pigs. The study suggests that the United States Food and Drug Administration's recommended maximum levels of 10 ppm (=10 mg/kp) total fumonisins in the diet is above the no-observable-effect level (NOEL) for swine.