ABSTRACT
Mycotoxins, produced by fungi, can contaminate fish food and harm their health. Probiotics enhance immune balance and primarily function in the animal intestine. This study aimed to assess aflatoxin's impact on Piaractus mesopotamicus and explore probiotic-based additive (PBA) benefits in mitigating these effects, focusing on antioxidant activity, biochemical indices, and hepatic histopathology. Two experiments were conducted using P. mesopotamicus fry. The first experimental assay tested various levels of aflatoxin B1 (0.0, 25.0, 50.0, 100.0, 200.0, and 400.0 µg kg-1) over a 10-day period. The second experimental assay examined the efficacy of the probiotic (supplemented at 0.20%) in diets with different levels of aflatoxin B1 (0.0, 25.0, and 400.0 µg kg-1) for 15 days. At the end of each assay, the fish underwent a 24-hour fasting period, and the survival rate was recorded. Six liver specimens from each treatment group were randomly selected for metabolic indicator assays, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and albumin. Additionally, histopathological analysis was performed on six specimens. The initial study discovered that inclusion rates above 25.0 µg kg-1 resulted in decreased activity of AST (aspartate aminotransferase), ALT (alanine aminotransferase), ALB (albumin), CAT (catalase), and SOD (superoxide dismutase), accompanied by liver histopathological lesions. In the second study, the inclusion of PBA in diets contaminated with AFB1 improved the activity of AST and ALT up to 25.0 µg kg-1 of AFB1, with no histopathological lesions observed. The study demonstrated the hepatoprotective effects of PBA in diets contaminated with AFB1. The enzyme activity and hepatic histopathology were maintained, indicating a reduction in damage caused by high concentrations of AFB1 (400.0 µg kg-1 of AFB1). The adverse effects of AFB1 on biochemical and histopathological parameters were observed from 25.0 µg kg-1 onwards. Notably, PBA supplementation enhanced enzymatic activity at a concentration of 25 µg kg-1 of AFB1 and mitigated the effects at 400.0 µg kg-1 of AFB1. The use of PBAs in pacu diets is highly recommended as they effectively neutralize the toxic effects of AFB1 when added to diets containing 25.0 µg kg-1 AFB1. Dietary inclusion of aflatoxin B1 at a concentration of 25.0 µg kg-1 adversely affects the liver of Piaractus mesopotamicus (Pacu). However, the addition of a probiotic-based additive (PBA) to the diets containing this concentration of aflatoxin neutralized its toxic effects. Therefore, the study recommends the use of PBAs in Pacu diets to mitigate the adverse effects of aflatoxin contamination.
ABSTRACT
The fungus Penicillium camemberti is widely used in the ripening of various bloomy-rind cheeses. Several properties of P. camemberti are important in cheese ripening, including conidiation, growth and enzyme production, among others. However, the production of mycotoxins such as cyclopiazonic acid during the ripening process by P. camemberti has raised concerns among consumers that demand food with minimal contamination. Here we show that overexpressing an α-subunit from the subgroup I of the heterotrimeric G protein (Gαi) influences several of these processes: it negatively affects growth in a media-dependent manner, triggers conidial germination, reduces the rate of sporulation, affects thermal and osmotic stress resistance, and also extracellular protease and cyclopiazonic acid production. Our results contribute to understanding the biological determinants underlying these biological processes in the economically important fungus P. camemberti.
Subject(s)
GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits/physiology , Indoles/metabolism , Penicillium/physiology , Peptide Hydrolases/metabolism , Stress, Physiological/physiology , Alleles , Cheese/microbiology , GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal , Penicillium/classification , Penicillium/enzymology , Penicillium/growth & development , Phenotype , Proteolysis , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction , Spores, Fungal/physiologyABSTRACT
O experimento objetivou determinar os valores nutricionais de diferentes frações de milho obtidas por meio de estratificação em mesa densimétrica na recria de frangas. Os milhos foram designados como: MDA - milho de densidade alta; MDI - milho de densidade intermediária; MDB - milho de densidade baixa; MDT - milho de densidade total, composto de 30% de MDA, 60% de MDI e 10% de MDB. Para a determinação da energia metabolizável corrigida (EMAn) foi utilizado o método de coleta total de excretas em frangas Hy Line de 15 semanas. Os valores de EMAn (kcal/kg na MN) foram: 3.467; 3.340; 3.217 e 3.385kcal/kg e densidade (kg/m³): 818,61; 698,13; 681,80 e 736,39kg/m³ para MDA; MDI; MDB e MDT, respectivamente. O MDB apresentou maior valor em todos os aminoácidos digestíveis, com maior intensidade para o triptofano. As frações de milho foram variáveis quanto ao EMAn e perfil de aminoácidos digestíveis, indicando a necessidade de correções nutricionais para a formulação de rações de custo mínimo...
The experiment aimed to determine the nutritional value of different corn fractions obtained by stratification in a gravity table of replacement pullets. The corn was designated as MDA - high density corn; MDI - medium density corn; MDB - low density corn; MDT - total corn density, composed of 30% MDA, 60% MDI and 10% MDB. To determine the corrected metabolizable energy (AME N) a method for total collection of excreta with pullets Hy Line was used for 15 weeks. AME N (kcal/kg in MN) were: 3467, 3340, 3217 and 3385kcal/kg and density (kg/m³): 818.61, 698.13, 681.80 and 736.39 for MDA, MDI, MDB and MDT, respectively. The MDB showed the highest value in all the digestible amino acids, with higher intensity for the tryptophan. The fractions of corn were variable as to AME N and digestible amino acid profiles, indicating the need for corrections to the nutritional feed formulation of minimum cost...
Subject(s)
Animals , Female , Animal Feed , Chickens/growth & development , Nutritive Value , Zea mays/classification , Energy Metabolism , Oviposition , WeaningABSTRACT
Costa Rica no es la excepción en cuanto a la prevalencia de ocratoxina A en plasma, ya que en este estudio se obtuvo la presencia de la micotoxina en el 95% de las 149 muestras estudiadas. También se estudió la presencia de la ocratoxina A en 110 muestras de diferentes marcas de café tostado y molido de las 12 torrefactoras más importantes del país y de 7 supermercados. A excepción de una muestra de café que dio resultados negativos, el resto de muestras analizadas presentaron la micotoxina en cantidades menores a 4000 ng/L o kg. Se trató de encontrar una asociación entre el consumo de café y la presencia de la ocratoxina A en el plasma así como del consumo de cerveza, sin embargo no hubo diferencia estadísticamente significativa en el valor promedio de la micotoxina entre los tomadores y no tomadores de café y tampoco entre los bebedores y no bebedores de cerveza.
Ocratoxin A in human plasma and coffee from Costa Rica by ELISA. Costa Rica is not an exception in the prevalence of ochratoxin A in human plasma, in this research the presence of the micotoxin was found in 95% of the 149 samples studied. The presence of ocratoxina A also was studied in 110 samples of toasted and grounded coffee from the most important 12 coffee factories of the country and from 7 supermarkets. With the exception of one negative sample the rest of them have concentrations of micotoxin below 4000 ng/kg. An association between the coffee consumption and the presence of ochratoxin A in plasma was attempted to be found as well as in the consumption of beer, but there were any statistically significant difference in the average level of mycotoxin between the coffee consumers and non coffee consumers neither between beer consumers and no beer consumers.
