Moniliformin from Fusarium fujikuroi culture material and deoxynivalenol from naturally contaminated wheat incorporated into diets of broiler chicks.

The effects of feeding diets containing 100 mg moniliformin (M)/kg of feed from culture material and 16 mg deoxynivalenol (DON)/kg of feed from naturally contaminated wheat were evaluated in growing broiler chicks from 1 day to 21 days of age. Body weight (BW), body-weight gain, and feed consumption were decreased by feeding M and M plus DON diets. Relative heart weight was increased by the M diet, whereas relative weights of proventriculus, gizzard, and heart were increased by the M plus DON diet. The M diet increased alanine transferase and aspartate transaminase activities and creatinine concentration and decreased mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). The M and DON diet decreased glucose, hemoglobin, and MCHC. Histopathological lesions from the M diet were limited to the kidney and consisted of extensive renal tubular epithelial degeneration plus luminal mineralization. A moderation of the severity of lesions was seen in the tissues of the M plus DON-fed chicks, consisting of generally mild tubular epithelial degeneration. None of the parameters measured were affected by the DON diet. Results indicate additive or less-than-additive toxicity for most parameters when chicks were fed diets containing 100 mg M plus 16 mg DON/kg of feed. Although the concentration of M in this study was high compared with that reported for feedstuffs, additional information on the occurrence and toxicity of M will need to be collected in order to assess the importance of M to the poultry industry.