Page 7 - National Poultry Newspaper

Figure 1. Increasing zearalenone prevalence (%) and concentrations (red numbers in ppb) in poultry feed in 2016-2020. Photo: Biomin world mycotoxin survey 2020
Figure 2. Formation of cysts in the oviduct of breeders that received a diet contaminated with a high concentra-
tion of zearalenone in the field. Photo: Dr Pavel Shkarlat DVM PhD Figure 6. Lower adsorption efficacy of zearalenone.
Seven myths and truths about zearalenone
n How common is it in poultry production?
WHAT is true and what is myth when talking about zearalenone in poultry production?
in feed to its impact on broilers, laying hens and turkey poults, below clarifies fact and fiction.
mycotoxin in poultry, not only in the reproductive tract but also in other systems and organs. Myth – ZEN is not highly prevalent in poultry feed
mon to find these myco- toxins occurring in com- bination.
The α-zearalenol (α-ZEL) is considered the most toxic metabolite of ZEN.
ence of cystic oviduct, prolapse of the rectum and inflammation in the reproductive tract, while a reduction in testes size was observed in roosters.
levels below European Union recommendations. It also reflects the cor- relation between ZEN and broiler’s zootechni-
Truth – ZEN effects
in poultry can’t be avoided by using a my- cotoxin binder
Zearalenone is usu- ally associated with re- productive disorders in poultry, but do you know of its other effects and how common ZEN is?
Poultry species are generally considered to be more resistant to ZEN than other species such as pigs.
Evaluating the com- plete situation is crucial. It has been proven that
Turkey poults have a significantly higher α-ZEL:ZEN ratio in comparison to broiler chickens and laying hens, meaning that more zea- ralenone is metabolised to toxic α-ZEL, support- ing the hypothesis of increased sensitivity of turkeys to the estrogenic effects of the mycotoxin. Truth – ZEN causes reproductive disorders in breeders and layers
cal performance.
From ZEN's prevalence
However, recent re- search has shown the potential hazard of this
According to the 2020 Biomin world mycotox- in survey, 67 percent of poultry feed samples an- alysed between 2016 and 2020 were contaminated by ZEN.
mycotoxins have nega- tive synergistic effects, presenting a challenge for the animal in reach- ing its maximum genetic potential.
Moreover, alterations in eggshells and frequent occurrences of cracked eggs in layers and breed- ers can indicate ZEN contamination of the feed.
Myth – ZEN only causes reproductive problems in poultry
Due to its low polar- ity, ZEN is considered a mycotoxin that cannot be adsorbed effectively.
Figure 3. Prolapse of the rectum and a reduction of testes size upon exposure to a high dietary zearale- none concentration in the field. Photo: Prof Charles Rangga Tabbu
Figure 4. Zearalenone results in the reduction of testes size in cocks. Left, normal testis and right, atrophied testis in a cock that received a diet con- taminated with a high zearalenone concentration. Photo: Dr Ivan Dinev DVM PhD
Figure 5. Alteration in eggshells under a high natural contamination of zearalenone. Photo: Biomin product manager Katharina Haydn
www.poultrynews.com.au
Deoxynivalenol and fumonisins are mainly produced by fusarium sp, the same fungus that produces ZEN.
The estrogenic effect of ZEN is reflected in modifications of the re- productive tract of poul- try species.
A recent study showed that ZEN is highly re- sponsible for the increase of FCR in broilers when a natural contamination by mycotoxins, even in
For more information, visit biomin.net
Lorran Baeumle Gab- ardo
Interestingly, ZEN levels increased in both prevalence and average contamination levels over the three years of the period 2018 – 2020. Myth – ZEN can be considered a single- mycotoxin problem for poultry
Truth – Poultry spe- cies can be affected by ZEN
Therefore, using a sim- ple binder wouldn’t be ef- fective to protect the ani- mal against ZEN’s effects.
Poultry are able to con- vert ZEN into α- and β-zearalenol (α- and β-ZEL).
ZEN doesn’t only hurt birds’ reproductive sys- tems.
Research into new methods of counterac- tion have shown that en- zymes are an effective strategy because they are able to break down the molecule into non-toxic metabolites.
Fortunately, due to its rapid natural metabo- lisation and excretion, poultry seem to be more resistant in comparison to other species such as swine or cow, but ZEN can still cause problems. Myth – Of the poultry species, broilers are the most sensitive to ZEN
ZEN is known to cause alterations in the repro- ductive tract of layers and breeders.
ZEN is also able to damage immune func- tions, induce oxidative stress and impact intes- tinal health in broilers.
Therefore, it is com-
In females the main findings are the pres-
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Naturally ahead
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