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Biological activity of Claviceps gigantea in juvenile New Zealand rabbits

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Abstract

The Ascomycete fungus Claviceps gigantea infects maize kernels and synthetizes several alkaloids, mostly dihydrolysergamides. There is limited information on the damage these toxins cause in mammals, despite reports from infested areas with 90% presence of the fungus sclerotia. With this background, it was decided to determine the biological activity of chemical compounds present in sclerotia of C. gigantea in rabbits 38 days after weaning. Sclerotia of C. gigantea were collected in fields with high incidence of the disease, ground and analysed for nutrients. Experimental diets were prepared with four treatments, where sclerotial powder was added, substituting for alfalfa flour in increasing proportions [C. gigantea/alfalfa flour (0:100, 5:95, 15:85 and 25:75)]. Total ergot alkaloid content was analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Male juvenile rabbits were utilised and distributed in completely randomised design with four replications. Initial weight was recorded in each animal, and experimental diet was offered. In this study, weight of animals, feed consumption and feed conversion were evaluated in individual animals. Blood samples were taken for haemograms, and finally euthanasia was practiced. The consumption of C. gigantea had a negative effect on body weight and feed consumption. The necropsies showed anomalies proportional to the consumption of feed contaminated with the fungus.

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Acknowledgments

The first author thanks the National Council on Science and Technology (CONACYT) for scholarship 214704.

We thank Dr. Ernesto Avila González for amino acid analysis and facilities for pelleting, Morislav Flieger for facilities on HPLC analysis and M. Sc Guillermo Márquez Licona for technical assistance during this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus Montecillo, Plant Pathology, C.P. 56230, Texcoco, State of Mexico, Mexico

    Alma Rosa Solano-Báez, Juan Manuel Cuca-García, Carlos De León-García de Alba & Javier Hernández-Morales

  2. Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus Puebla, Strategies for Regional Agricultural Development, Boulevard Forjadores de Puebla, C.P. 72760, Puebla, Mexico

    Adriana Delgado-Alvarado

  3. Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, Genetic and Developmental Biology Program, West Virginia University, 333 Evansdale Drive, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA

    Daniel Panaccione

  4. Departamento de Parasitología Agrícola, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, C.P. 56230, Texcoco, State of Mexico, Mexico

    Santos Gerardo Leyva-Mir

  5. Univ. Autónoma del Estado de Mexico, Campus El cerillo, Facultad de Ciencias Agrícolas, C.P. 50200, Toluca, State of Mexico, Mexico

    Jesús Ricardo Sánchez-Pale

Authors
  1. Alma Rosa Solano-Báez
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  2. Juan Manuel Cuca-García
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  3. Adriana Delgado-Alvarado
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  4. Daniel Panaccione
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  5. Carlos De León-García de Alba
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  6. Santos Gerardo Leyva-Mir
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  7. Jesús Ricardo Sánchez-Pale
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  8. Javier Hernández-Morales
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carlos De León-García de Alba.

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Solano-Báez, A.R., Cuca-García, J.M., Delgado-Alvarado, A. et al. Biological activity of Claviceps gigantea in juvenile New Zealand rabbits. Mycotoxin Res 34, 297–305 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12550-018-0324-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12550-018-0324-3

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