Prevention of mycotoxin toxicity in Nile Tilapia with modified clinoptilolite

OBJETIVE

This study shows the potential of organically modified clinoptilolite (MINAZEL^® PLUS) feed additive to safely protect the health of Nile tilapia exposed to a field-relevant mixture of mycotoxins at concentrations equaling or below the regulatory minimum.

We examined if the addition of this broad-spectrum mycotoxin adsorbent to fish feed contaminated with low levels of multiple mycotoxins similar to an actual field situation prevented the negative effects on the overall health and condition of fish during chronic dietary exposure.

MATERIALS & METHODS

Organically modified clinoptilolite feed additive (MINAZEL^® PLUS, 30 ± 2 g) was used to prevent mycotoxicosis in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) through its supplementation for 42 days to the diet contaminated with multiple mycotoxins:

⇰ Aflatoxin B1 (40 μg/kg)
⇰ Fumonisin B1 y B2 (600 μg/kg)
⇰ Zearalenone (50 μg/kg)
⇰ Deoxynivalenol (150 μg/kg)

The fish were assigned randomly to four experimental groups:

⇰ Control Group: control basal diet
⇰ MZ group: diet with 2 g/kg MINAZEL® PLUS
⇰ MT group: diet with multiple mycotoxins
⇰ MT + MZ group: diet with a combination of MINAZEL^® PLUS and multiple mycotoxins

Each group consisted of triplicate aquarium setups, with six fish in each replicate and sampling was performed in weeks 2, 4, and 6.

RESULTS

The lymphocyte count was significantly higher in the MZ group compared with the MT group and the MT + MZ group in week 6.

An overall decrease in the neutrophil count was observed in the experimental groups.

Histopathological analysis was performed in weeks 2 and 6, revealing significant changes in the liver, intestines, kidney, and spleen of fish from the MT group, while the MT + MZ and MZ groups were similar to the control.

The addition of 2 g/kg MINAZEL^® PLUS can prevent and reduce the adverse effects of chronic exposure to low concentrations of multiple mycotoxins in juvenile Nile tilapia.

CONCLUSION

The administration of MINAZEL^® PLUS significantly influenced lymphocyte and neutrophil counts in the experimental groups and prevented the occurrence of significant histopathological changes in the liver, intestines, kidney, and spleen of fish exposed to mycotoxins.

Authors

Wanvisa Hussein^1,2, Konrad Wojnarowski¹*, Paulina Cholewińska¹, Worrayanee Thammatorn¹, Natalia Szeligowska¹, Nemanja Todorović³, Ferenc Baska⁴, Jiraporn Rojtinnakorn²*, and Dušan Palić¹

¹Cátedra de Enfermedades de los Peces y Biología Pesquera, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Ludwig- Maximilian de Múnich, 80539 Múnich, Alemania; [email protected] (W.H.); [email protected] (P.C.); [email protected] (W.T.); [email protected] (N.S.); [email protected] (D.P.)
²Faculty of Fisheries Technology and Aquatic Resources, Maejo University, Chiang Mai 50290, Thailand
³Patent Co. DOO., Vlade Ćetkovića1A, 24211 Mišićevo, Serbia; [email protected]
⁴Departamento de Medicina de Animales Exóticos y Fauna Salvaje, Universidad de Medicina Veterinaria de Budapest, 1078 Budapest, Hungría; [email protected]

*Correspondence: [email protected] (K.W.); [email protected] (J.R.)

Hussein, W. et al. Toxicity of Low-Level Multiple-Mycotoxin Mixture in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Is Prevented with Organically Modified Clinoptilolite Feed Additive. Fishes 2024, 9, 449.DOI: 10.3390/fishes9110449