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MEKARN Conference 2010 |
The effects of a Phyllanthus amarus extract and a commercial detoxifying additive product were evaluated in protecting pigs from fumonisins with respect to growth performance, pathology and blood biochemistry. Forty eight crossbred (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc) weanling pigs were randomly assigned in a completely randomized design (CRD) to six diets containing: 1) low fumonisin B1 and no feed additive (LFNA); 2) low fumonisin B1 and commercial detoxicant additive at 1g/kg of feed (LFCA); 3) low fumonisin B1 and Phyllanthus amarus extract at 10g/kg of feed (LFPE); 4) high fumonisin B1 and no feed additive (HFNA); 5) high fumonisin B1 and commercial detoxicant additive at 1g/kg of feed (HFCA); 6) high fumonisin B1 and Phyllanthus amarus extract at 10g/kg of feed (HFPE).
Fumonisin levels, detoxicants and their combination did not have any effect on final weight, average daily weight gain, average daily feed intake, and feed conversion ratio in pigs. Including 10 mg fumonisin B1 in the diet decreased the total cholesterol significantly compared with the low fumonisin groups (2.19 mmol/L < 2.42 mmol/L) (P<0.05). The aspartate aminotransferase (AST) blood levels of pigs given the commercial additive were higher than in the no feed additive group (110 U/L > 83.1 U/L, P=0.067) and the Phyllanthus amarus group also had a high AST blood level (99.6 U/L). Moreover, fumonisin B1 thickened the alveolar walls of the lungs, while the commercial and Phyllanthus amarus additives partly reduce the thickened alveolar wall lesions. Liver cells also had more severe fatty degeneration and necrosis in the fumonisin and no additive group than in the commercial and P. amarus groups. However P. amarus extract made the liver tender.