Effects of deoxynivalenol and zearalenone on oxidative stress and blood phagocytic activity in broilers

Effects of dietary contamination with various levels of deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA) were investigated on Ross 308 hybrid broilers of both sexes. After hatching, all chickens were fed an identical control diet for two weeks. Then chickens of Group 1 received a diet contaminated with DON and ZEA, both being 3.4 mg . kg(-1), while Group 2 received DON and ZEA at 8.2 and 8.3 mg . kg(-1), respectively. The diet of the control group contained background levels of mycotoxins. Samples of blood and tissues were collected after two weeks. Intake of both contaminated diets resulted in a significantly decreased activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and increased level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver tissue, while in kidneys the concentration of MDA was significantly increased only in Group 1. On the other hand, activities of blood GPx and plasma gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) were elevated in Group 2 only. Activities of thioredoxin reductase in liver and GPx in duodenal mucosa tissues, superoxide dismutase (SOD) in erythrocytes as well as levels of MDA in duodenal mucosa and alpha-tocopherol in plasma were not affected by dietary mycotoxins. Blood phagocytic activity was significantly depressed in Group 1 and 2. These results demonstrate that diets contaminated with DON and ZEA at medium levels are already able to induce oxidative stress and compromise the blood phagocytic activity in fattening chickens.