Metagenomic Analysis of Chicks in the High-Dose Group

Zearalenone (ZEN), a prevalent mycotoxin produced by fungi of the genus Fusarium, poses significant health risks to animals and humans via contaminated food chains. Despite its recognized toxicity, the transgenerational effects of embryonic egg ZEN exposure on avian development and subsequent chick health remain poorly understood. In this study, embryonic egg injection technology and multi-omics approach were used to investigate the effects of embryonic egg injection of ZEN on hatching performance, post-hatch growth, and physiological health in chicks. A total of 480 Hy-line Brown embryonic eggs were administered varying ZEN doses (0, 5, 50, 500 μg/egg) on day 5 of incubation. ZEN exposure significantly reduced hatchability and initial weight, with dose-dependent decreases in net weight, average daily gain, and average daily feed intake, and an increase in feed conversion ratio at 20 days post-hatch. Histological analysis revealed intestinal inflammation and structural damage, accompanied by gut microbiota dysbiosis, characterized by increased abundance of pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli. ZEN exposure also induced liver damage, evidenced by elevated serum biochemical markers, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses. Metabolomic profiling indicated significant alterations in hepatic metabolites and metabolic pathways related to lipid metabolism, autophagy, and antioxidant defense. In addition, Correlation analysis suggested that gut microbiota dysbiosis and hepatic metabolic disorders are interconnected, potentially mediating ZEN-induced toxicity via the gut-liver axis. These findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms underlying ZEN's developmental toxicity and highlight the importance of mitigating ZEN contamination in poultry farming.

玉米赤霉烯酮（Zearalenone, ZEN）是一种由镰孢菌属（Fusarium）真菌产生的常见真菌毒素，可通过受污染的食物链对动物与人类造成严重健康风险。尽管其毒性已得到学界公认，但胚胎期鸡蛋暴露于ZEN对禽类发育及其后续雏鸡健康的跨代效应仍鲜为人知。本研究采用胚胎鸡蛋注射技术与多组学方法，探究胚胎期注射ZEN对雏鸡孵化性能、出雏后生长状况及生理健康的影响。本研究共选取480枚海兰褐（Hy-line Brown）胚胎鸡蛋，于孵化第5天为其注射不同剂量的ZEN（0、5、50、500 μg/枚）。结果显示，ZEN暴露可显著降低孵化率与初生体重；出雏后20天时，雏鸡的净体重、平均日增重与平均日采食量呈剂量依赖性下降，而饲料转化率则升高。组织学分析表明，ZEN暴露会引发肠道炎症与结构损伤，并伴随肠道菌群失调，表现为大肠杆菌（Escherichia coli）等致病菌的丰度升高。ZEN暴露还可诱导肝脏损伤，具体表现为血清生化标志物水平升高、氧化应激与炎症反应激活。代谢组学分析显示，肝脏代谢物及与脂质代谢、自噬、抗氧化防御相关的代谢通路发生显著改变。此外，相关性分析表明，肠道菌群失调与肝脏代谢紊乱存在关联，二者或可通过肠-肝轴介导ZEN诱导的毒性效应。本研究结果为解析ZEN发育毒性的潜在机制提供了新视角，并强调了家禽养殖中降低ZEN污染的重要性。