Mycotoxin effects on antioxidant status Increased cellular oxidative stress is a common result of expo- sure to many mycotoxins, due to the associated increase in the production of oxygen and hydrogen radicals and the de- pletion of cellular defence mechanisms, such as glutathione. Cellular oxidative stress and enhanced radical production lead to lipid peroxidation and cellular necrosis. Many myco- toxins also affect the transport of vitamins and provitamins, which encourages lipid peroxidation, impairs vital cellular function and induces programmed cell death (i.e. apoptosis), followed by cell necrosis. The incorporation of mycotoxins into membrane structures causes various detrimental changes that are associated with the peroxidation of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), or lipid peroxidation. That, in turn, alters membrane permeability, flexibility and other important characteristics that can affect membrane function. Moreover, it is not currently clear if mycotoxins stimulate lipid peroxidation directly by enhancing the production of free radicals or if the increased tissue susceptibility to lipid peroxi- dation is the result of a compromised antioxidant system (see Figure 1).
Managing the mycotoxin challenge Although lower level mycotoxin contamination may not al- ways be of great concern to every pig producer, it is clear that, by not paying closer attention to it, the industry may be unnecessarily incurring what are often avoidable economic losses. Underestimating those long-term subclinical effects can notably hamper both the pig’s immunity and its antioxi- dant status, with subsequent negative impacts on areas like productivity, reproduction and disease status. While there has been significant progress in the area of con- trolling mycotoxins, it is still generally impossible to eliminate them entirely from the animal feed supply chain. Fortunately for pig producers, there are steps that can be taken – from crop planting to the delivery of the feed to animals – that can help mitigate the mycotoxin challenge. One of the key tools within this cycle is mycotoxin detection. Until the actual risk is identified and quantified, it can be very difficult to establish effective mycotoxin control programmes or make successful use of in-feed ingredients, such as myco- toxin binders, that are designed to remove mycotoxins from the pig’s digestive tract before they have a chance to cause serious harm.
References available upon request. ▶ PIG PROGRESS | Volume 37, No. 10, 2021 39
Respiratory diseases of unknown origin could be caused by low-level mycotoxins in feed.
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