| Summary: | In the field of mycotoxin research, there is an increasing requirement to understand the effect of these toxins at realistic contamination levels, and as mixtures, on animal health and performance. Although there are recommendations of maximum levels of some mycotoxins in feed, it is known from practice that concentrations below the maximum recommended levels already negatively affect livestock production. In the present study, we exposed broilers to three different levels of naturally contaminated diets containing deoxynivalenol (DON) and its derivatives 3 + 15 Acetyl-DON (3 + 15 Ac-DON) and DON-3-glucoside (DON-3-G) to evaluate their effect on birds performance. 630 day-old Ross 308 broilers were housed in 30 pens (21 birds per pen) and fed diets containing increasing levels of DON (Low: 1,650–1,890 μg/kg; Moderate: 2,500–2,880 μg/kg DON; and High: 3,220–3,900 μg/kg), 3 + 15 Acetyl-DON (Low: 25.6–39.4 μg/kg; Moderate: 42.3–49.1 μg/kg; and High: 58.4–71.1 μg/kg), and DON-3-G (Low: 356–362 μg/kg; Moderate: 405–637 μg/kg; and High: 625–787 μg/kg). Each diet had 10 replicate pens. During the grower period (D13-28) broilers fed diets containing moderate and high contamination levels presented a significantly increased feed intake but accompanied by significant impairment in FCR when the broilers were fed the highest contamination level. Based on this, it can be concluded that broiler production is affected when feed is contaminated with a mixture of DON and its derivatives, even at levels below the EU maximum recommendation of 5,000 μg/kg. Furthermore, extra attention should be given to multi-mycotoxins contamination in diets for broilers up to 28 days old.
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