MYCOTOXINS ▶▶▶
A complex battlefield: mycotoxins in the GIT
Most grains are susceptible to mycotoxin contamination. These toxic secondary metabolites are produced by fungi before or after harvest and cause severe economic losses. For livestock, negative consequences include acute effects, such as impaired liver and kidney function, vomiting, or anorexia, as well as chronic effects, such as immunosuppression, growth retardation and reproductive problems. Mycotoxin management, therefore, has the utmost priority for animal producers worldwide.
BY MARISABEL CABALLERO AND SABRIA REGRAGUI MAZILI B
ut how is it that mycotoxins cause so much damage in the first place? This article delves into the com- plex processes that take place when mycotoxins come into contact with the gastrointestinal tract
(GIT). The intestinal epithelium is the first tissue to be ex- posed to mycotoxins and often at higher concentrations than other tissues. A deeper understanding of how mycotoxins af- fect the GIT allows us to appreciate the cascading effects on animal health and performance, why such damage already
Figure 1 - The intestinal epithelium. Intestinal Lumen O Intestinal Stem Cells
occurs at contamination levels well below official safety thresholds – and what can be done about it.
Busy triage site When mycotoxins are ingested, they encounter the GIT’s in- testinal epithelium (Figure 1). This single layer of cells lining the intestinal lumen serves two conflicting functions: on the one hand, it must be permeable enough to allow the absorp- tion of nutrients. On the other hand, it constitutes the prima- ry physiological barrier against harmful agents, such as virus- es, micro-organisms, and toxins. Within the intestinal
Nutrients Villus Mucus O Goblet Cells
O Paneth Cells
O Transit Amplifying Cells
O Enteroendocrine Cells
O Enterocytes Crypt 30
▶ POULTRY WORLD | No. 6, 2020
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