Effects on health and blood plasma parameters of laying hens by pure nivalenol in the diet

The effects of trichothecene nivalenol (NIV) on the health and production of laying hens were determined in a feeding study. White Leghorn hens, 55 weeks old, were fed diets containing 0, 1, 3 and 5 mg NIV/kg during 50 days. Feed intake was reduced by NIV, but there were no effects on body weight, egg production and egg quality. Traces of unaltered NIV were found in liver and bile. Alkaline phosphatase in the blood plasma increased in the hens fed 0, 1 and 3 mg NIV/kg diet but decreased in the birds fed 5 mg NIV/kg feed. Total protein and glucose were slightly reduced in hens fed 5 mg NIV/kg diet. Pathological examination revealed that 40-75% of hens fed NIV (3 and 5 mg/kg) supplemented diet showed gizzard lesions, haemorrhages in the duodenum and swollen cloaca and oviducts with immature eggs while certain birds in the 1 mg NIV group showed light and fragile livers. NIV and the metabolite de-epoxy-NIV in faeces were found to constitute up to 10% of ingested NIV.