Abstract:

Assessment of a hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate agent and antioxidant blend for mitigation of aflatoxin-induced physiological alterations in pigs

Allen F. Harper, PhD; Mark J. Estienne, PhD; J. Blair Meldrum, DVM, PhD; Robert J. Harrell, PhD; Duarte E. Diaz, PhD

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Objective: To assess hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicates (HSCAS) and an antioxidant supplying ethoxyquin and tertiary butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ) as dietary additives to mitigate physiological effects of aflatoxin in feed for pigs.

Materials and methods: Ninety pigs
(9.42 ± 0.05 kg) were used in a study with five dietary treatments: an uncontaminated control diet with no additives and four similar diets that were contaminated with 500 ng per g aflatoxin B1 (AB1) and supplemented with no additive, with 0.5% HSCAS, with an antioxidant preparation providing 125 mg per kg of ethoxyquin and 10 mg per kg of TBHQ, or with both HSCAS and the antioxidant preparation.

Results: Feed consumption and growth were poorer (P < .05) in pigs consuming AB1-contaminated feed without additives than in pigs fed the uncontaminated control diet. Serum chemistry constituents were altered (P < .05) in a manner consistent with ingestion of AB1. Growth performance and serum chemistry constituents did not differ between pigs fed an AB1-contaminated diet supplemented with HSCAS and pigs fed uncontaminated feed. In pigs fed the AB1 diet with antioxidant, growth was poorer than in controls (P < .05), but serum gamma glutamyltransferase levels (P < .05) were lower than in pigs fed AB1-contaminated feed without supplementation.

Implications: Supplementation of HSCAS is effective in preventing the negative effects of dietary aflatoxin in young pigs as measured by growth and serum chemistry parameters. Supplementing with antioxidant does not mitigate most negative physiological effects associated with aflatoxin consumption.

Keywords: aflatoxin, feed additives, serum chemistry

RIS citationCite as: Harper AF, Estienne MJ, Meldrum JB, et al. Assessment of a hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate agent and antioxidant blend for mitigation of aflatoxin-induced physiological alterations in pigs. J Swine Health Prod 2010;18(6):282-289.

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