Effect of Deoxynivalenol (DON) and Sodium Metabisulfite, an Antimycotoxin Additive, on Nutrient Digestibility in Pigs.

Deoxynivalenol (DON), a Fusarium mycotoxin, is known to have an impact on the pig industry by reducing growth performance. The antimycotoxin additives sodium bisulfite and sodium metabisulfite (SBS) had shown positive results in reducing negative effects of DON on pig growth performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate an antimycotoxin additive having SBS as the active ingredient, and DON on nutrient ileal or total tract digestibility. Six crossbred castrated males were fitted surgically with single-T cannula. According to a crossover design, pigs received one of four diets composed with contaminated or uncontaminated barley-corn-soybean diets, with or without Defusion^TM (a commercial additive of SBS). After ten days on experimental diets, faeces and ileal digesta were collected during two days. Apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of dry matter, calcium, phosphorus, crude protein, crude fat, ADF and NDF fibers, energy, amino acids and total DON/DOM-1 and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter, ADF and NDF fibers, energy and DON were evaluated. The AID of phosphorus, calcium and some amino acids (alanine, valine, leucine and isoleucine) was increased (P < 0.05) by DON. However, DON tended to decrease ATTD of dry matter and energy (P = 0.064 and P = 0.071). Defusion^TM reduced the AID of dry matter, energy, ADF, fat and phosphorus (P < 0.05). For NDF, Defusion^TM reduced its AID but only in pigs fed with uncontaminated diets (Interaction, Defusion × DON, P < 0.05). However, Defusion^TM had no effect on ATTD of dry matter, energy and fibers. Defusion^TM reduced the AID of DON (P < 0.05) but had no effect on ATTD of this mycotoxin. This project showed a positive effect of DON contamination in AID of nutrients but DON-contaminated diet tended to reduce ATTD of energy, which could partly explain the negative effect of DON on growth performance. Defusion^TM additive reduced absorption of DON but had a negative effect on AID and did not have any effect on ATTD of nutrients. Defusion^TM is known to improve growth performance of pigs fed DON-contaminated but this positive effect would not be associated with AID or ATTD improvements.