Comparison of ochratoxin, aflatoxin, and T-2 toxin for their effects on selected parameters related to digestion and evidence for specific metabolism of carotenoids in chickens.

Aflatoxicosis, ochratoxicosis, and T-2 toxicosis were produced by feeding diets containing graded concentration of the appropriate toxin to broiler chicks from hatching unit 3 weeks of age. Aflatoxin, even at levels not growth inhibitory, produced a malabsorption syndrome characterized by steatorrhea, hypocarotenoidemia, and decreased concentrations of bile salts and pancreatic lipase, trypsin, amylase, and RNase. The T-2 toxin at concentrations higher than required to inhibit growth produced a mild malabsorption syndrome characterized by steatorrhea and decreased levels of pancreatic lipase, trypsin, amylase, and RNase. The only suggestion of malabsorption during ochratoxicosis was a severe hypocarotenoidemia. The following observations indicated a lack of correlation between lipid malabsorption and hypocarotenoidemia. The T-2 toxicosis exhibited lipid malabsorption in the absence of hypocarotenoidemia, ochratoxicosis exhibited hypocarotenoidemia in the absence of lipid malabsorption, and aflatoxicosis exhibited both symptoms. These findings imply that carotenoids are physiologically active compounds with specific metabolic processes and are not inert substances swept along with lipids as is commonly assumed from the ability to grow apparently healthy birds free of carotenoids. The current findings also indicate that great specificities exist in mycotoxicoses despite superficial similarities.