Effects of deoxynivalenol and degradation enzyme on growth performance and immune responses in mule ducks

Effects of deoxynivalenol (DON) on growth performance and immune responses, and the efficiency of DON degradation enzyme (DDE) in mule ducks were investigated. A total of 140 mule ducklings was equally assigned to treatment groups of control (no DON, no DDE), toxin 1 (5 ppm DON, no DDE), toxin 2 (10 ppm DON, no DDE), trial 1 (5 ppm DON, 1.5 kg/ton DDE), trial 2 (5 ppm DON, 2.5 kg/ton DDE), trial 3 (10 ppm DON, 1.5 kg/ton DDE), and trial 4 (10 ppm DON, 2.5 kg/ton DDE). There were no significant differences in total feed intake, body weight gain, and feed efficiency among treatment groups. However, the 5 ppm DON alone, 5 ppm +1.5 kg/ton DDE, and 10 ppm +1.5 kg/ton DDE groups resulted in a significant higher heart, liver and pancreas weight than those of control group. Pathological lesions in visceral organ and blood biochemistry parameters alteration were observed in mule ducks of all the DON treatment groups. DON challenge also decreased number of macrophages harvesting from each duck, and a slight improvement could even be seen if DDE 2.5 kg/ton were added, as compared with control group. These results suggest that DON exhibited multiple-toxic characteristics, in terms of hepatotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, and immunotoxicity in ducks. The addition of DDE at 1.5 or 2.5 kg/ton in diet have revealed a toxic-sparing effects in blood biochemistry parameters and immune functions.