Projects / Programmes
The effect of mycotoxins on oxidative stress and DNA damage and the nutritional possibilities to reduce their action
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 4.02.00 |
Biotechnical sciences |
Animal production |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B000 |
Biomedical sciences |
|
| B006 |
Biomedical sciences |
Agronomics |
| B420 |
Biomedical sciences |
Nutrition |
mycotoxins, animal production, feed, poultry, oxidative stress, genotoxicity, antioxidants
Researchers (2)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
20082 |
PhD Vida Rezar |
Animal production |
Researcher |
2005 - 2008 |
349 |
| 2. |
08857 |
PhD Irena Rogelj |
Animal production |
Head |
2008 |
706 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
Mycotoxins are detrimental to human and animal health due to their carcinogenic, theratogenic and immunosuppressive properties. Mycotoxins and their metabolites are omnipresent in feeds and have negative effects on animal health and productivity. Furthermore they can be transferred into animal products. Several toxic effects of mycotoxins are well researched, but recently new possible mechanisms of action and new injury markers have been discovered. Among newly discovered and therefore not so well researched mycotoxin"s mechanisms of action in the organisms is increased oxidative stress. The increased oxidative stress can be attributed to increased oxidative capacity or to decreased activity of antioxidative system. Since contamination of feeds with mycotoxins can not be prevented, new methods for reducing their harmful effects are investigated. These include incorporation of certain substances (e.g. organic acids, enzymes and vitamins) in animal feed, which neutralize or decompose the toxins. Precise reaction pathways and efficiency of the tested substances are not known, mainly due to the employment of less precise analytical techniques in efficiency studies.
Main aims of the proposed project on animals are:
-to assess applicability of in our lab established methods for determination of oxidative stress (vitamin content, total antioxidative capacity, degree of leukocyte DNA damage, malondialdehyde determination)
-development of new methods for assessment of mycotoxin action (in vitro genotoxicity technique using Caco 2 cells)
-the use of selected markers for assessment of efficiency of toxine-neutralizing substances
Poultry will be used as experimental animals. Obtained results will be (at least partially) applicable to other animal species, and to some extent also to humans.
