Work

Methionine mitigates aflatoxicosis in quail chicks by improving gut microbiota, immunity, and meat quality

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary methionine (Met) supplementation on performance, immunity, and meat quality in growing Japanese quail exposed to aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 )-contaminated diets. Nine experimental diets were formulated, incorporating three levels of dietary Met (5.0, 6.0, and 7.0 g/kg) and three levels of AFB 1 (0.0, 2.5, and 5.0 mg/kg) in a completely randomized design and fed from d 8 post-hatch to d 35 of age. The results revealed that increasing dietary Met levels significantly improved body weight gain (BWG; P < 0.001), feed conversion ratio (FCR; P < 0.001), and feed intake (FI; P < 0.001), while counteracting the negative effects of AFB 1 on these performance parameters. Dietary Met supplementation also exerted a protective effect against elevated hepatic enzyme levels (AST, P < 0.001; ALT, P < 0.001; ALP, P = 0.001; and LDH, P < 0.001) and serum uric acid levels (P < 0.001) induced by AFB 1 . Furthermore, dietary Met enhanced humoral immunity responses by increasing antibody production against sheep red blood cell antigen (P < 0.001) and hemagglutination inhibition response (P < 0.001), mitigating the AFB 1 -induced immune impairment. Meat quality parameters, including pH (P = 0.04), drip loss (P < 0.00 1 ), and malondialdehyde concentration (P < 0.001), were significantly influenced by the interaction between dietary Met and AFB 1 . Lastly, dietary Met supplementation effectively counteracted AFB 1 's detrimental effects on ileal lactic acid bacteria populations (P < 0.001). In conclusion, dietary Met supplementation shows promise as a nutritional intervention to alleviate the harmful effects of AFB 1 exposure in Japanese quail, particularly in improving food quality and overall health.

Source: Toxicology Reports

DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2024.101875

Authors: Adel Ghorbani, Mahmoud Ghazaghi, Farzad Bagherzadeh-Kasmani, Mohammad Rokouei, Mehran Mehri

Institution: Zabol University

Language: English

Topic: Mycotoxins in Agriculture and Food

Subfield: Plant Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Zero hunger, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,230