Effects of a mycotoxin deactivator in broilers exposed to subclinical doses of fumonisins and deoxynivalenol

Feed ingredients used in poultry production are frequently co-contaminated with multiple mycotoxins, posing challenges that conventional binders alone may not offer comprehensive mycotoxin mitigation. Hence, this study evaluated the efficacy of mycotoxin deactivator, Biofix Select® with FUMzyme® (a multi-component mycotoxin deactivator) on growth performance, antioxidant activity, immune response, and cecal microbiota in broilers exposed to fumonisin (FBs) and deoxynivalenol (DON). A total of 360 one-day-old broiler chicks were randomly distributed in a 2 × 2 factorial design. The dietary treatments were: control, FBs + DON (8.5 mg FBs + 3.9 mg DON per kg of feed), Mycotoxin (MTX) Deactivator (0.1 % Biofix Select® with FUMzyme®), and FBs + DON + MTX Deactivator (0.1 % Biofix Select® with FUMzyme®) (n=6). Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA. No interaction effects were observed for overall growth performance. However, significant interaction effects between FBs + DON exposure and MTX Deactivator supplementation were observed for gut morphology on d21, with the MTX Deactivator mitigating the reductions in villus length and crypt depth induced by FBs + DON (p < 0.05). On d35, interaction effects were observed in jejunal occludin (OCC) mRNA expression, with the MTX Deactivator counteracting the FBs + DON-induced downregulation of OCC (p < 0.05). On d35, interactions were detected in the percentages of CD8+ T cells and CD8+:CD4+ T cell ratios in the cecal tonsil and spleen (p < 0.05), with MTX Deactivator alleviating the immunosuppression caused by FBs + DON. A significant interaction was also observed in splenic TGF-β mRNA expression, where the MTX Deactivator decreased the TGF-β mRNA expression in birds exposed to FBs + DON (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the MTX Deactivator at 0.1 % mitigated the adverse effects resulting from continuous exposure to subclinical levels of combined FBs and DON in broilers.