Fumonisin B1 neurotoxicity in young carp (Cyprinus carpio L.).

This research investigates the neurotoxic effects of a mycotoxin called Fumonisin B1 on the brain of young carp fish fed with FB1-contaminated corn-based feed.

Objective and Methodology

• The study aimed to investigate the chronic toxicity of Fumonisin B1 (FB1)—a type of mycotoxin produced by several species of the Fusarium fungus, most commonly Fusarium verticilioides—on one-year-old carp.
• The experiment carried out for 42 days involved feeding carp with corn-based feed tainted with either 10 mg kg-1 or 100 mg kg-1 of FB1.

Findings

• The results indicated that FB1 could cross the blood-brain barrier of the young carps, despite it being a water-loving (hydrophilic) molecule. As a result, it caused harm to their neuronal cells.
• The researchers noticed degenerate, vacuolated, or necrotic neural cells scattered around damaged blood capillaries and in the periventricular area. These findings were uncovered after staining the carps’ brain with a solution of hemalaun-eosin and conducting a histological analysis.

Implications

• The study provides crucial insights into FB1’s neurotoxic effects, typically associated with diseases like equine leukoencephalomalacia, a condition in horses linked to the consumption of corn-based feeds contaminated with FB1.
• It contributes to our understanding of the various factors possibly contributing to neurodegenerative diseases, including environmental elements like exposure to mycotoxins such as Fumonisin B1.