Embryopathic and embryocidal effects of purified fumonisin B₁ or Fusarium proliferatum culture material extract on chicken embryos

One hundred eight fertile eggs (Columbia × New Hampshire) were assigned to 10 groups of 10 eggs each (2 control groups had 14 eggs each). Five groups of eggs were inoculated on day 1 of incubation, while the other 5 groups were inoculated on day 10. The inoculum of the 4 treatment groups on both day 1 and 10 consisted of 1,10, or 100 μM purified fumonisin B₁ (FB₁) or a culture material extract (CME) of Fusarium proliferatum, having known amounts of FB₁, FB₂ and moniliformin (FB₁ 20 μM; FB₂ 4 μM and moniliformin 7 μM). Inoculum consisted of the respective toxin(s) dissolved in 100 μl double distilled, autoclaved water (diluent). Control eggs were inoculated with diluent only. Mortality was both dose- and time-responsive in all treatments. Eggs inoculated on day 1 with 1 μM FB₁ had 50% mortality; 10 μM FB₁ had 70% mortality; 100 μM FB₁ had 100% mortality; and CME had 100% mortality. Eggs inoculated on day 10 with 1,10 or 100 μM FB₁ or CME had 30, 60, 90 and 80% mortality, respectively. Normal chicks were hatched from all control eggs. The median death times (MDT₅₀) were inversely dose-responsive in all treatments, ranging from 3.0 to 7.4 days in embryos exposed on day 1 and from 3.2 to 9.0 days in those exposed on day 10. Early embryonic changes in exposed embryos included hydrocephalus, enlarged beaks and elongated necks. Pathologic changes were noted in liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, musculoskeletal system, intestines, testes and brain toxin-exposed embryos.