Efficacy evaluation of a fermented milk containing inactivated biomasses of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to ameliorate the toxic effects of dietary aflatoxins and fumonisins in pigs: a pilot study.

Inactivated microorganisms may reduce mycotoxins' bioavailability, although in vivo evidence is limited especially in farm animals. This pilot study evaluated whether a fermented milk (FM) containing heat-inactivated biomasses of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae at 1% (w/w) mitigated the toxic effects of dietary aflatoxins (AFs) and fumonisins (FBs) in weaned piglets. Twenty-four male crossbred piglets were assigned to a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design (n = 3 per group) with AFs (0; 1.11-1.28 mg/kg, sum of AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2), FBs (0.78-0.99; 9.22-9.53 mg/kg, sum of FB1 and FB2), and FM (0; 39 g/animal/day, equivalent to 5% of basal diet) for 28 days. AFs reduced (P < 0.05) the body weight gain and feed consumption. AFs or AFs + FBs exposure were associated with hepatic lesions, whereas FBs caused increased pulmonary and renal lesions (P < 0.05). FM was associated with lower (P < 0.05) scores of FBs' lung lesions and AFs + FBs' kidney lesions, but did not consistently improve growth performance or hepatic and renal biochemical parameters. Plasma AFP1 and urinary FB2 were lower (P < 0.05) in AFs- or FBs-exposed animals receiving FM, while plasma and urinary AFM1 or FB1 were not reduced by the FM. In conclusion, FM containing inactivated L. rhamnosus and S. cerevisiae had partial protective effects against organ-specific mycotoxin injury, with limited evidence of AFs bioavailability reduction, considering n = 3 per experimental group. Further studies should evaluate different inclusion levels of microorganisms and mycotoxins, as well as other potentially adsorptive microorganisms, with a focus on microorganism-mycotoxin interactions within the gastrointestinal tract.