EFFECT OF FUSARIUM-ROSEUM CORN CULTURE CONTAINING ZEARALENONE ON EARLY-PREGNANCY IN SWINE

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 43  (9) , 1599-1603
Abstract
A corn culture of F. roseum was added to a standard corn-soybean swine gestation ration. Low, middle and high dosage mixed feeds contained 7, 38 and 64 mg zearalenone/kg feed (7, 38 and 64 ppm) and 0.5, 2.5 and 4.5 mg deoxynivalenol/kg, respectively. Control feed was the standard ration without added F. roseum corn culture. Mature gilts were bred by natural service and fed control or F. roseum molded feed from 3-34 days after breeding. The main effect of the molded feed was an inhibition of fetal development, with decreased numbers of fetuses present in treated animals at slaughter (38-43 days after breeding). Normal litters were present in 7 of 8 control animals, in 2 of 4 gilts given the low-dosage feed, in 1 of 4 gilts given the medium dosage and in 0 of 4 given the high-dosage feed. Corpora lutea were maintained in all treated animals, as evidenced by serum progesterone concentrations. Serum estradiol concentrations were decreased in gilts in the middle- and high-dosage groups. The genital system of the gilts fed low- and middle-dosage feeds had a gross and microscopic appearance similar to that of the pregnant controls and reflected prolonged progesterone stimulation. Morphologic changes in the genital system of the high-dosage group were intermediate between changes induced by progesterone and those induced by estrogen. Clinical signs of hyperestrogenism and partial feed refusal were noticed in only some of the high-dosage group animals.