Toxic interaction of fumonisin B1 and fusaric acid measured by injection into fertile chicken egg

Abstract

Toxic interactions of fusaric acid and fumonisin B1, two mycotoxins produced by Fusarium moniliforme, were studied in the chicken embryo. The yolk sacs of fertile White Leghorn eggs were injected before incubation with separate and combined solutions of either fusaric acid and or fumonisin B1. The toxins were administered in either a sterile 10 mM buffered phosphate solution, pH 6.90, which produced a final pH of 6.6 +/- 0.2, or sterile distilled water. Toxicity was based on absence of egg pip at the end of the 21-day incubation period. Toxins administered in the phosphate buffer solution were more toxic than those administered in distilled water. When both toxins were combined in equal concentrations and injected into eggs, increased toxicity resulted. Fusaric acid was shown to be a mild toxin to the eggs and when a relatively nontoxic concentration of it was combined with graded doses of fumonisin B1, a synergistic toxic response was obtained. Fusaric acid is only moderately toxic to the chicken egg, however its co-occurrence with other fusaria toxins found on corn and other cereals might present possible antagonisms or synergisms. The results of this egg model suggest that fusaric acid might play a role in enhanced and unpredicted toxicity in mammalian systems if it is consumed with other mycotoxins.