Assessment of Functional Yoghurt Efficacy to Decrease the Toxic Effects of Aflatoxins Alone or in Combination with Fumonisins on Piglets

Abstract

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi that occur naturally in foodstuffs, which can cause a large variety of toxic effects on vertebrates, including humans. The fact that some mycotoxins are carcinogenic (e.g., aflatoxins) constitutes a serious human and animal health threat, mainly to children and young animals due to their high physiological vulnerability. Previous studies have shown that biomasses of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts can reduce the dietary exposure of aflatoxins. In this context, the objective of this project is to assess the efficacy of the functional yoghurt developed in another work package of the Thematci Project, to decrease the toxic effects of aflatoxins in feed, alone or in combination with fumonisins, on piglets during 28 days. Data on performance, histology, serum biochemistry parameters and serum mycotoxin biomarkers will be analyzed as a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial.