Hepatic evaluation in matrinxã (Brycon cephalus) and pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) exposed to diets with aflatoxins

• Grant number: 16/09581-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2016
• End date: June 30, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Andrezza Maria Fernandes
• Grantee: Lucas Corrêa da Silva Carrion
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Mycotoxins are toxic compounds that may have serious health effects when present in food for human or animal consumption. Since exposure to aflatoxins is a risk factor for human and animal health, many countries have adopted legislation to control the tolerance levels of aflatoxins in food for human and animal consumption. This project aims to evaluate biochemical changes and the occurrence of lesions in the liver tissue of Piaractus mesopotamicus (pacu) and Brycon cephalus (matrinxã) submitted to different levels of aflatoxins (AF) in the diet. The treatments are: control (feed without aflatoxin), feed + 10 ug AFB1/kg, 20 ug AFB1/kg and 50 ug AFB1/kg. Each month five samples per treatment will be collected to evaluate the liver of animals, adding up to 40 samples monthly (20 for each species) and 240 at the end of the experiment (120 for each species). Biochemical parameters will be measured and the hepatic function will be evaluated (total protein, albumin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase) in fish from different treatments. Possible liver damage, microscopic and macroscopic lesions, will be identified and characterized. Thus, this study will provide knowledge of the effects of aflatoxins on the liver of the two species of fish mentioned.