Probiotic gut-borne Saccharomyces cerevisiae reduces liver toxicity caused by aflatoxins in weanling piglets

The present study was conducted to investigate the aflatoxin B-1 (AFB(1)) liver toxicity and gut histomorphometry after gut borne-Saccharomyces cerevisiae supplementation to AFB(1)-contaminated piglet diets. Thirty-two male mixed-breed piglets (weaned at 21 days old) were housed in individual pens and allowed to acclimate for 7 days. Animals were randomly assigned to four treatments of 22 days: T1 - low AFB(1) levels diet (L, 31.6 mu g/kg); T2 - L + S. cerevisiae 1 g/kg; T3 - high AFs levels diet (H, 495 mu g/kg); T4 - H + S. cerevisiae 1 g/kg. The addition of probiotic yeast was able to reduce 72% of residual AFB(1) present in the liver. The liver histopathology of piglets fed AFB(1) showed a typical macroscopic and microscopic pattern of subclinical aflatoxicosis that was prevented by the yeast. Also, the addition of the yeast was able to decrease the alanine-aminotransferase (25.5 +/- 0.71 U) and aspartate-aminotransferase (26.5 +/- 6.10 U) even showing values lower than the control ones. The apparent absorption area showed the greater surface when the probiotic was present alone compared to the control (T1), whereas when present together with the toxin demonstrated a modulatory effect. The addition of probiotic gut-borne S. cerevisiae in the pig diets was effective in counteracting the toxic effects of harmful AFB(1) in livers besides a tendency to improve the histomorphometric parameters and modulating the toxic effect of AFB(1) on intestine. These results are promising for the production of feed additives that will be used in animal feed, since the probiotic action and the decontamination of mycotoxins in the same product are complemented.