Toxicity of Penicillium citrinum AUA-532 Contaminated Corn and Citrinin in Broiler Chicks

The toxicity and histopathological changes in broiler chicks fed 0, 33, 65, 130, and 260 ppm citrinin were investigated. Dietary citrinin caused subacute toxicity with increased water consumption and diarrhea at the 130 and 260 ppm levels, but no mortality was observed during the 6-week period. At necropsy, chicks fed 130 and 260 ppm citrinin had hemorrhagic jejunums, mottled livers, and enlarged kidneys. Chicks fed lower levels of citrinin appeared normal macroscopically; however, all levels of dietary citrinin caused cellular infiltrations in the liver, kidney, and pancreas suggestive of an allergen. Anaplastic areas in the kidney and pancreas and increased mitosis of tubular epithelial cells in the kidney of chicks fed 260 ppm citrinin indicated citrinin could be a carcinogen in the chick. Feeding a 62% level of Pencillium citrinum-contaminated corn caused markedly different symptoms from those of the citrinin toxicosis. Acute toxicity was observed with 58% chick mortality in 2 weeks. Severe growth depression, organ atrophy, and enlarged gallbladders were observed macroscopically. Depletion of lymphoid tissue, cardiac and skeletal myopathy, necrosis of centrilobular hepatocytes and glomerular atrophy and hyperplasia were observed microscopically. The toxic factors in the P. citrinum-contaminated ration are unidentified.