Chronic effects of fumonisin B1 on ducks

Partially purified fumonisin B 1 (FB 1 ) was orally administrated for 77 d to 5 groups of 8 mule ducks starting at 7 d of age; the concentrations corresponded to 5 diets containing 0, 2, 8, 32, and 128 mg of FB 1 /kg of feed. No mortality was observed, and no effects on feed consumption and body weight gain were observed at the end of the treatment period. But, surprisingly, FB 1 ingested at 32 and 128 mg/kg led to decreased body weight from d 28 to 63 and from d 7 to 63, respectively. FB 1 had no effect on the relative weight of heart and breast muscle, whereas a significant increases in the relative weights of gizzard, spleen, and liver were measured in ducks receiving 32 and 128 mg of FB 1 /kg of feed without evidence of detectable microscopic modification of these organs. FB 1 had no significant effect of the serum aspartate aminotransferase and γ-glutamyltransferase levels but increased serum total protein, cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase levels when 128 mg of FB 1 /kg of feed was given. Serum, liver, and kidney sphinganine to sphingosine ratio was significantly increased in ducks fed 8 to 128 mg of FB 1 / kg of feed. The biggest increase was observed in kidneys, suggesting that this organ is the most sensitive to detect FB 1 -induced disruption of sphingolipid metabolism.