Yuanara Augusta Rahmat Adikara, Erma Safitri, Supriyadi, Imam Mustofa, Tita Damayanti Lestari, Suzanita Utama, Siti Darodjah Rasad, Hery Purnobasuki, Goo Jang
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi that cause harmful effects including immunotoxicity, carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, neurotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity to humans and animals. Mycotoxins pose a significant global challenge with increasing animal health hazards and large financial losses in the broiler food and feed production industry, necessitating the use of mycotoxin binders. This research investigated the effect of a multicomponent mycotoxin binder on broiler chicken feed containing mixed mycotoxins aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and ochratoxin A (OTA) on the expression of important immune response markers including Nrf2, NF-κB and TGF-β in spleen tissue. The experimental animals were male broiler Cobb 500 strain raised from day-old chick (DOC) age. Spleen samples were collected from 20 male broilers from four different treatments, each group containing five broilers: (1) negative control group (C-): healthy broilers without any treatment; (2) positive control group (C+): broilers fed with feed containing 0.1 mg/kg AFB1 and 0.1 mg/kg OTA; (3) T1: broilers fed with feed containing 0.1 mg/kg AFB1 and 0.1 mg/kg OTA + 1.1 kg/ton mycotoxin binder; and (4) T2: broilers fed with feed containing 0.1 mg/kg AFB1 and 0.1 mg/kg OTA + 1.6 kg/ton mycotoxin binder. The immune responses (Nrf2, NF-κB and TGF-β) were examined using the flow cytometry method. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) followed by Duncan’s multiple range test (P < 0.05). The C+ group showed the highest expression of Nrf2 while C-group showed the lowest. There was a decrease in Nrf2 expression in T1 and T2 groups compared to the C+ group. NF-κB expression showed significant differences between C-group and C+/T1 groups, but no significant difference between C- and T2 groups. TGF-β expression showed significant differences between C- group and T1/T2 groups, but no significant difference between C- and C+ groups. These findings demonstrate that the mycotoxin binder modulates immune marker expression patterns in spleen tissue consistent with a reduction in oxidative and inflammatory stress. However, the higher binder dose (1.6 kg/ton) showed superior efficacy for NF-κB modulation compared to the lower dose (1.1 kg/ton). The functional physiological consequences of these molecular changes and their translation to improved health outcomes require verification through integrated biochemical, histopathological, and productivity or performance assessments in future studies. © 2026 by the authors. Licensee ResearchersLinks Ltd, England, UK.
Laboratory of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, East Java, Malang, Indonesia; Doctoral Program Study of Sains Veteriner, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, East Java, Surabaya, Indonesia; Division of Veterinary Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, East Java, Surabaya, Indonesia; Pos Tugas, Surabaya, Indonesia; Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Universitas Padjadjaran, West Java, Indonesia; Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga, East Java, Surabaya, Indonesia; Department of Theriogenology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, South Korea
