TOXICITY OF FUSARIUM-PROLIFERATUM-FERMENTED NIXTAMALIZED CORN-BASED DIETS FED TO RATS - EFFECT OF NUTRITIONAL-STATUS

Male F344/N rats were fed corn, nixtamalized corn, Fusarium proliferat um-fermented (FP) corn to provide 50 mg/kg fumonisin B1 (FB1), or nixt amalized FP corn (NFP), with and without supplemented nutrients. Nixta malization of FP corn almost completely hydrolyzed FB1 and produced 7- 10 mg/kg hydrolyzed fumonisin (HFB1). Relative liver weight was signif icantly increased in nutrient-supplemented rats fed FP or NFP corn. Pl asma cholesterol increased in rats fed FP or NFP corn. Plasma glutamat e-pyruvate transaminase was elevated in all rats fed FP com and in nut rient-supplemented rats fed NFP corn. All rats fed FP corn and nutrien t-supplemented rats fed NFP corn exhibited hepatocellular adenomas, wh ereas unsupplemented rats fed NFP corn had few adenomas. HFB1 and othe r uncharacterized F. proliferatum mycotoxins produced by nixtamalizati on were less toxic than were toxicants, including FB1, present in FP c orn. Improvement in nutritional status due to nixtamalization stimulat ed NFP corn toxicity.