Influence of degree of acetylation of scirpenol mycotoxins on feed refusal by chickens.

The refusal by young chickens of feed containing graded levels (0, 1.25, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0, 20.0, and 40.0 micrograms/g of diet) of the Fusarium mycotoxins scirpentriol (STO), monoacetoxyscirpenol (MAS), diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), and triacetoxyscirpenol (TAS) was tested in a defined experimental model. The order of activity as measured by minimum effective dose was DAS greater than MAS = STO greater than TAS whereas the order measured by percentage refusal at 10, 20, and 40 micrograms/g was MAS greater than DAS greater than STO greater than TAS. These results imply that feed refusal associated with corn and feed infested with Fusarium sps. might be a multiple toxicosis because the scirpenols, which are not tested for routinely, can occur together naturally.