ISSUE FOCUS 32 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE May 2025 Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health concern, making infections more complicated to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death. While overuse and misuse of antibiotics are the primary causes, recent research has uncovered another unexpected contributor: mycotoxins. Among these, deoxynivalenol (DON), a toxin commonly found in contaminated grains, has been shown to significantly alter gut microbiota and promote antibiotic resistance. This article examines how DON impacts gut bacteria, influences antibiotic resistance, and highlights why this issue warrants urgent attention. MYCOTOXINS – ORIGINATORS OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE? Actually, it would be logical… Alexander Fleming discovered Penicillin when he returned after the summer holidays and saw that a mold had grown on the agar plate he had prepared. Around the mold, Staphylococcus was unable to proliferate. The reason was a substance produced by the mold – penicillin, which, like other toxins produced by molds, is a mycotoxin. In his article about the origin of antibiotics and mycotoxins, Shier (2011) stated that antibiotics and mycotoxins share considerable similarities in structure, metabolic roles, and biosynthesis. A SHORT EXCURSUS TO ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE In general, the primary mechanisms of resistance involve the prevention or limitation of the anti- “Given the widespread presence of Deoxynivalenol in food and animal feed, its potential role in antibiotic resistance poses a serious threat. The combination of increased bacterial resistance and weakened antibiotic efficacy could lead to more difficult-to-treat infections. This is particularly concerning in hospital settings, where antibiotic-resistant infections already cause high mortality rates.” MYCOTOXINS AS CONTRIBUTORS TO ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE? Marie Gallissot Global Manager Feed Quality Solutions EW Nutrition Dr. Inge Heinzl Editor EW Nutrition
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUxNjkxNQ==