Preliminary investigations into the effect of feedingmannan oligosaccharide(MOS) on the genotoxiceffect of T-2 toxin in rabbits measured by comet assay

T-2 toxin is a secondary fungal metabolite produced by Fusarium species. Several in vitro and in vivo studies described genotoxic potential of T-2 toxin, which is generally accepted to be caused by oxidative stress. There are some data showing that colonic probiotic bacteria can remove mycotoxins via physical binding. Mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) are widely used animal feed to improve gastrointestinal health. Because of their interaction with microbes, the aim of our study was to determine the possible protective effect of MOS in T-2 toxicosis. Sucking rabbits were randomly assigned into two experimental groups, the control (C, n = 20) and the prebiotic (P, n = 20) group. In group P the feed of the does was completed with MOS. The young rabbits were allowed to consume the feed of the does from about the 17th days of age. The rabbits were weaned on the 35th day. At 7 weeks of age both groups (C and P) were divided into two (n = 10 in each), and half of the C and P rabbits were fed with the same diet as before, but contaminated with 2 mg/kg feed T-2 toxin (groups CT and PT). The animals were fed the toxin containing diet for the duration of 21 days. At the end of the 10th week blood samples were collected from 6 animals from group C, CT and PT. Mononuclear cells obtained from the rabbits were tested in comet assay to detect the genotoxic effect of T-2. All control samples (C) were negative in the test, i.e. all cells were scored as ‘0’. T-2 toxin in 2 mg/kg feed concentration had genotoxic effect on the rabbits’ lymphocytes, as could be concluded from the comet values. MOS supplementation in the feed had significant protective effect against T-2 as seen by the lower comet score frequencies compared to T-2 treated animals. These results demonstrate that MOS may reduce risk associated with the uptake of mycotoxins probably by their binding capacity or antioxidative properties.