Impact of mycotoxins on gut health
Mycotoxins in animal feed represent a very real threat to the health of the animal. Even low amounts of mycotoxins can have a negative effect on gut health. This can leave the animal more susceptible to infectious diseases.
BY PROF. DR. GUNTHER ANTONISSEN, DEPARTMENT OF PATHOBIOLOGY, PHARMACOLOGY AND ZOOLOGICAL MEDICINE, GHENT UNIVERSITY
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ntestinal health is of major importance for maximising the health, welfare, and performance of production ani- mals. Livestock has traditionally been selected for opti- mal feed conversion and maximal body weight gain.
However, gut health in production animals is constantly chal- lenged throughout the entire life of the animal by exogenous and endogenous stressors. Among the most important exog- enous stressors and safety risks for the future feed industry and security of feed supply chain are mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by toxigenic fungal spe- cies present on a multitude of crops. Mycotoxin contamina- tion appears all through the life and process cycle of crops starting from the pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest, as well as the process stage. The dynamic crosstalk between intestinal epithelial cells, microbiota, local immune cells, and nutrition represents one of the major regulatory mechanisms to maintain intestinal homeostasis. Dysregulation of this homeostasis can result in leaky gut, intestinal inflammation, and dysbiosis. Ingestion of even low to moderate levels of mycotoxins is disturbing this
▶ MYCOTOXINS | NOVEMBER 2021
intestinal homeostasis. Understanding the different types of interactions of mycotoxins with the gastro-intestinal environment will be of major importance for future risk assessment and the organisation of efficient mycotoxin mitigation strategies.
Mycotoxins and leaky gut The intestinal epithelium is a single layer of cells lining the gut lumen that acts as a selective barrier, allowing the absorption of nutrients and water from the intestinal lumen into the blood circulation. It also constitutes the largest and most important barrier to prevent the passage of harmful substances present in the gastro-intestinal tract, including foreign antigens, microorganisms, and their toxins. Mycotoxins damage the intestinal barrier and induce leaky gut, through the modulation of intestinal epithelial integrity and epithelial cell renewal and repair. By measuring the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and intestinal mRNA expression of genes encoding tight junction proteins, several in vitro and ex vivo studies indicate that mycotoxins
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