extract supplementation mitigated the negative effects of prolonged low-dose exposure to Deoxynivalenol and Zearalenone on growth performance and intestinal health of broiler chickens.

Abstract

Deoxynivalenol (DON) and Zearalenone (ZEN), common symbiotic mycotoxins found in mold-contaminated cereal feed, adversely affect broiler' health.has various pharmacological effects including antibacterial, antioxidant and immunomodulatory. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the long-term intake of low doses of DON and ZEN on growth performance and intestinal health of broilers, as well as the potential protective effect of supplementaryextract (GUE) in an 84-day feeding experiment. A total of 315 one-day-old malebroilers were randomly assigned to three treatments: basal diet (CON), MOL diet (where 5% of corn in the basal diet was replaced with an equal amount of naturally moldy corn) containing DON and ZEN at 1.25 and 1.29 mg/kg, and MGUE diet supplemented with 0.1% GUE in the MOL diet. The MOL diet reduced the body weight (BW) of broilers at 56 and 84 day, body weight gain (BWG) and feed intake (FI) aged 1-56 and 1-84 days, and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) aged 1-84 days, as well as villus height (VH) and the villus/crypt (V/C) ratio, SOD and GSH-Px activities, and the expression of,and, while increasing MDA level, the expression of,andin the jejunum of broilers. Additionally, MOL diet decreased theto(F/B) ratio and abundances of(and), and, while increasing(and),(), and() in the ceca. In contrast, MGUE diet improved growth performance and returned it to a level comparable to that of the CON diet, increased VH and V/C ratio, SOD and GSH-Px activity,,andexpression, while reducing MDA level, the expression of,andin the jejunum. Moreover, MGUE diet had a greater F/B ratio and abundance of(and) and, while reducing(and),() and() in cecum. In conclusion, the long-term consumption of a low-dose DON-ZEN contaminated diet decreases growth performance and disrupts intestinal health and microbiota balance in broilers; however, dietary supplementation with GUE effectively mitigates the damage caused by DON-ZEN contamination.