Experimental ochratoxicosis A in pigs

Ochratoxin A was isolated from a culture of Aspergillus ochraceus grown on a cornmeal substrate. The mycotoxin was added to a grower ration for 14 kg young pigs at 2, 4, 8 and 16 mg/kg and fed to groups of 3 for periods ranging from 6 to 20 days. The highest dose rate group only became sick, with loss of appetite, weight loss, polydipsia, polyuria, proteinuria, glucosuria, elevation of serum creatinine, pale swollen kidneys, renal tubular degeneration and cortical fibrosis. The pigs on the 2 mg toxin/kg of diet appeared unaffected with only slight renal tubular degeneration present in one animal. Feeding diet contaminated with the intermediate doses of 4 and 8 mg toxin/kg diet lead to reduction of weight gain and/or reduced feed intake and feed conversion efficiency as well as mild renal lesions. Ochratoxin A has recently been reported on mould-affected grain in Queensland and some local strains of A. ochraceus in culture have been shown to be able to produce levels of ochratoxin A of up to 4000 mg/kg of substrate. Rare episodes of nephrotoxicity in pigs seen at slaughter in Queensland may thus be due to prior contamination of the diet with ochratoxin A.