EFFECTS OF FEEDING FUSARIUM-FUJIKUROI CULTURE MATERIAL CONTAINING KNOWN LEVELS OF MONILIFORMIN IN TURKEY POULTS

An experiment was conducted with 180 female turkey poults to evaluate the effects of Fusarium fujikuroi M-1214 culture material, containing moniliformin (M), on turkey poults. Day-old female poults were allotte d randomly to dietary treatments containing 0, 0.24, 0.48, 0.72, 0.96, 1.44, 1.92, 2.40 and 2.88% M culture material (MCM). These levels of MCM supplied 0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 250 or 300 mg M/kg of feed. Significant mortality occurred in poults fed 200 (six out of 20), 250 (nine out of 20) and 300 (nine out of 20) mg M/kg feed. Poults fed 10 0 mg M/kg or greater had lower (P<0.05) feed intakes than controls. De creased body weight gains were observed in poults fed diets containing 100 mg M/kg or higher. In contrast, feed conversion was only affected (P<0.05) at dietary levels of 200 mg M/kg feed or higher. increased h eart weights (P<0.05) were observed in poults fed greater than or equa l to 50 mg M/kg. Gross lesions of M toxicity were a generalized cardio megaly. Histopathology revealed focally extensive to generalized loss of cardiomyocyte cross striations (granular change) and numerous large cardiomyocyte nuclei in poults fed greater than or equal to 50 and 10 0 mg M/kg, respectively. Results indicated that Fusarium fujikuroi cul ture material containing moniliformin at greater than or equal to 50 m g M/kg is toxic to turkey poults.