Effects of feed-borne Fusarium mycotoxins on performance, plasma chemistry and hepatic fractional protein synthesis rates of turkeys

Abstract

In the first experiment, 225 day-old male turkey poults (5 pens/diet and 15 birds/pen) were fed corn, wheat and soybean meal based starter, grower, developer and finisher diets formulated with uncontaminated grains or contaminated grains or contaminated grains + 0.2% glucomannan polymer (GMP). In the second experiment, the same starter diet was also fed over a 4-wk period to 48 male turkey poults (2 pens/diet and 8 poults/pen) to determine hepatic fractional protein synthesis rates (FSR). Consumption of grains naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins significantly decreased body weight gain throughout the experiment compared with controls. Supplementation of diets containing contaminated grains with GMP prevented the reduction in body weight gain in the starter, developer and finisher periods. Efficiency of feed utilization decreased in grower and developer periods when birds were fed contaminated diets. Plasma total protein, albumin, globulin and uric acid concentrations were decreased after 4 wk of feeding compared with controls (P < 0.05). It was concluded that performance and plasma chemistry of turkeys were sensitive to the feeding of a diet containing a combination of mycotoxins arising from naturally contaminated grains and the feeding of GMP can prevent some of these adverse effects. Key words: Fusarium mycotoxins, turkey performance, hepatic FSR