Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1980 Sep;40(3):641–645. doi: 10.1128/aem.40.3.641-645.1980

Intestinl fragility during ochratoxicosis and aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens.

M F Warren, P B Hamilton
PMCID: PMC291631  PMID: 7425618

Abstract

Graded concentrations of dietary ochratoxin (0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, and 8.0 microgram/g) and aflatoxin (0, 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 microgram/g) were fed to broiler chicks from hatching to 3 weeks of age. The breaking strength of the large intestines was decreased significantly (P < 0.05) by ochratoxin (2, 4, and 8 microgram/g), but not by aflatoxin. This fragility was accompanied by an increase in the weight of the large intestine relative to body weight of birds fed ochratoxin (4.0 and 8.0 microgram/g), whereas aflatoxin had no significant (P < 0.05) effect on this parameter. Lipid content of the large intestine was decreased significantly (P < 0.05) by aflatoxin (10.0 microgram/g) and increased by ochratoxin (8.0 microgram/g). Microscopic examination of cross sections of large intestines stained for collagen gave the impression of a great decrease in collagen content of birds fed ochratoxin, but not aflatoxin. The radial length of the collagenous longitudinal folds of the large intestine was decreased significantly (P < 0.05) by ochratoxin (2.0, 4.0, and 8.0 microgram/g). These observations, plus a field case characterized by intestinal ruptures causing carcass condemnations on the processing line and by the occurrence of aflatoxin and ochratoxin in the chicken feed, suggest a novel way in which mycotoxins cause economic loss to agriculture.

Full text

PDF
641

Images in this article

643Image
on p.643
644Image
on p.644

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Chang C. F., Hamilton P. B. Impaired phagocytosis by heterophils from chickens during aflatoxicosis. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1979 May;48(3):459–466. doi: 10.1016/0041-008x(79)90429-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Chang C. F., Huff W. E., Hamilton P. B. A leucocytopenia induced in chickens by dietary ochratoxin A. Poult Sci. 1979 May;58(3):555–558. doi: 10.3382/ps.0580555. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Chu F. S. Studies on ochratoxins. CRC Crit Rev Toxicol. 1974 Jan;2(4):499–524. doi: 10.3109/10408447309025706. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Doerr J. A., Huff W. E., Tung H. T., Wyatt R. D., Hamilton P. B. A survey of T-2 toxin, ochratoxin, and aflatoxin for their effects on the coagulation of blood in young broiler chickens. Poult Sci. 1974 Sep;53(5):1728–1734. doi: 10.3382/ps.0531728. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Huff W. E., Hamilton P. B. Decreased plasma carotenoids during ochratoxicosis. Poult Sci. 1975 Jul;54(4):1308–1310. doi: 10.3382/ps.0541308. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Huff W. E., Wyatt R. D., Tucker T. L., Hamilton P. B. Ochratoxicosis in the broiler chicken. Poult Sci. 1974 Jul;53(4):1585–1591. doi: 10.3382/ps.0531585. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Shotwell O. L., Hesseltine C. W., Stubblefield R. D., Sorenson W. G. Production of aflatoxin on rice. Appl Microbiol. 1966 May;14(3):425–428. doi: 10.1128/am.14.3.425-428.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Smith J. W., Hamilton P. B. Aflatoxicosis in the broiler chicken. Poult Sci. 1970 Jan;49(1):207–215. doi: 10.3382/ps.0490207. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Steyn P. S., Merwe K. J. Detection and estimation of ochratoxin A. Nature. 1966 Jul 23;211(5047):418–418. doi: 10.1038/211418a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Trenk H. L., Butz M. E., Chu F. S. Production of ochratoxins in different cereal products by Aspergillus ochraceus. Appl Microbiol. 1971 Jun;21(6):1032–1035. doi: 10.1128/am.21.6.1032-1035.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Tung H. T., Donaldson W. E., Hamilton P. B. Altered lipid transport during aflatoxicosis. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1972 May;22(1):97–104. doi: 10.1016/0041-008x(72)90229-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Tung H. T., Hamilton P. B. Decreased plasma carotenoids during aflatoxicosis. Poult Sci. 1973 Jan;52(1):80–83. doi: 10.3382/ps.0520080. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. West S., Wyatt R. D., Hamilton P. B. Improved yield of aflatoxin by incremental increases of temperature. Appl Microbiol. 1973 Jun;25(6):1018–1019. doi: 10.1128/am.25.6.1018-1019.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES