ISSUE FOCUS 30 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE March 2024 Currently the industry is aware of mycotoxins and their detrimental effects on animals. Hence in practice, toxin binders are applied and seem to solve the problem. But what happens if the animal is simultaneously facing a bacterial challenge, are toxin binders still sufficient under these circumstances? WHAT ARE ENDOTOXINS AND MYCOTOXINS? Gram-negative bacteria, such as E. coli and Salmonella, have a double membrane with an intermediate peptidoglycan layer. Lipopolysaccharides (LPS), also known as endotoxins, are components of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and responsible for cell integrity, stability and protection from the environment. LPS consist of 3 parts, namely an O antigen (polysaccharide), a core oligosaccharide and a lipid A domain for anchoring in the bacterial cell membrane structure. Due to the existence of the gut microbiome, endotoxins are naturally present in the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) of animals. They are released upon bacterial replication or lysis and toxic to production animals as they significantly impact immune status, but also gut barrier permeability. Certainly, when gram-negative bacteria overload the GIT, they can become very harmful. However, certain immune cells produce enzymes that detoxify endotoxins before they can have these negative effects. Moreover, when LPS enter the bloodstream, it can cause endotoxemia and in severe cases septic shock and heart failures. It is one of the most important reasons why bacterial translocation to the bloodstream is often detrimental both for humans and for farm animals. On the other hand, mycotoxins are toxic metabolites produced by different species of mold. The most known species are Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium. These molds contaminate crops globally before and after harvest. Mycotoxins are chemically and heat stable, so they will survive feed processing and will end up in the final feed. Therefore, close monitoring is important as well as protecting the animals from their harmful effects. In practice, monitoring is performed via mycotoxin predictive models as well as feed analysis via both precise or rapid techniques. Simultaneously, animal feed is supplemented with anti-mycotoxin additives to prevent negative effects and performance losses. Common additives are clay minerals, alone or in combination with functional ingredients to improve gut health, immune response and organ functioning. SIMILARITIES IN EFFECTS OF ENDOTOXINS AND MYCOTOXINS Looking more in depth at the effects in the animal, we discover some similarities between endotoxin and mycotoxin contamination. Endotoxins are known to be highly inflammatory both in the intestine and in the peripheral tissues. Actually, LPS MYCOTOXINS AND ENDOTOXINS: ARE THERE ANY SYNERGISMS AT STAKE? Arno Duchateau Global Product Manager Impextraco
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