Aditivo antimicotoxinas melhora o desempenho de suínos desafiados com dietas contendo micotoxinas nas fases de creche e crescimento

Abstract

The ingestion of mycotoxins can result in several adverse effects, including reduced growth rate and immunosuppression. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of supplementation with an anti-mycotoxin additive, composed of bentonite, activated charcoal, yeast cell wall, a selenium–amino acid complex, and milk thistle extract, in diets containing added mycotoxins for piglets during the nursery and growing phases, on their performance and antioxidant status. A total of 56 weaned piglets, 24 days of age (average body weight 6.99 kg), were used. Piglets were housed in pens with two animals each, according to body weight, litter origin, and sex. Subsequently, the animals were transferred to the growing unit, and each pig was considered an experimental unit. Dietary treatments consisted of feeding pigs a standard control diet (negative control – NC; without mycotoxins or anti-mycotoxin additive); NC + AD (negative control supplemented with the anti-mycotoxin additive); a standard diet containing added mycotoxins considered as the positive control (Deoxynivalenol (DON): 1,700 μg/kg; Zearalenone (ZEA): 700 μg/kg; Aflatoxin (AFLA): 50 μg/kg; Ochratoxin A (OTA): 50 μg/kg; T-2 toxin: 400 μg/kg; Fumonisin (FUM): 5,000 μg/kg) without the anti-mycotoxin additive; and a positive control diet supplemented with 0.5 kg/ton of the anti-mycotoxin additive. Pigs were individually weighed at the beginning and end of each phase, and feed intake was recorded based on daily pen consumption throughout the experiment. On days 0, 7, and 36 post-weaning, blood samples were collected for oxidative stress analysis. Antioxidant enzymes (glutathione peroxidase [GPX], superoxide dismutase [SOD], and glutathione S-transferase [GST]), vitamin E, lipid peroxidation (LPO), and reduced glutathione (GSH) concentration were evaluated. Pigs exposed to mycotoxins and supplemented with the anti-mycotoxin additive showed improved performance and lower GST activity compared with pigs receiving only mycotoxincontaminated diets, possibly indicating a reduced need for activation of enzymatic defense pathways. Our results demonstrate that the use of an anti-mycotoxin additive may help reduce the negative impacts on performance and oxidative stress when animals are fed diets contaminated with multiple mycotoxins.