FUSARIUM PROLIFERATUM CULTURE MATERIAL ALTERS SEVERAL PRODUCTION AND IMMUNE PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS IN WHITE LEGHORN CHICKENS

White Leghorn Cornell K-strain chicks (3 replicates of 16 per pen) wer e started at Day 7 on feed amended with Fusarium proliferatum culture material containing fumonisin B-1, fumonisin B-2, and moniliformin at 61, 10.5, and 42.7 ppm, respectively. Observed effects on performance of treated birds included reduced feed conversion at 2 wk, and reduced body weight of males and females up to 6 wk (P less than or equal to. 05). Splenic, thymic, and liver weights, normalized for body weight, w ere reduced (P less than or equal to.05) with no change in bursa of Fa bricius. No significant changes were observed histologically in the sp leen, bursa, kidney, heart, liver, cecal tonsils, colon,or tibia. Sign ificant suppression in total Ig and IgG levels occurred. Macrophages f rom treated chicks exhibited a 34% reduction in phagocytic activity. N atural killer cell activity was not affected. These findings, which sh owed that Fusarium toxins alter performance and immune end points in c hickens, imply that chickens exposed to mycotoxins may be more suscept ible to infectious diseases.