Recently Funded Research

Ontario Pork has a call for research proposals once a year. These projects were approved for funding by the board on recommendation of the research committee. If you have questions or need further information about the research posted here please contact Jessica Fox at jessica.fox@swinehealthontario.ca

Recently Funded Research

Strategies for detoxifying vomitoxin using innovative chemical and biological approaches in post-weaning piglets

Project 17-022 - Lead Researcher: Dr. Joshua Gong, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph

Project was funded in 2017 and is active.

The contamination of feed with the mycotoxin, deoxynivalenol (DON), has detrimental effects on the production of farm animals, with pigs being the most susceptible. Typical negative effects of mycotoxin consumption includes reduced feed intake, digestive dysfunction (e.g. gastroenteritis, gastrointestinal tract lesions, reduced nutrient absorption), immune suppression, and reduced growth performance. With the observed effects often being greater in younger pigs. Some strategies, such as toxin binders, have been developed to reduce the effects of particular mycotoxins such as aflatoxin. However effectively mitigating the negative impacts of DON is still a challenge. Chemical (e.g. use of sodium metabisulfite) and biological approaches (e.g. the use of microorganisms) for detoxification have shown promises in reducing DON. The goal of this project is to test the ability and length of time these new DON feed detoxifiers can survive in the pig gut and the effectiveness of their detoxification activity on DON inoculated corn and soy diets fed to weaned pigs. The growth performance, gut barrier function, nutrient absorption and immunity in weaned piglets fed rations treated using these new chemical and biological approaches for detoxification of DON will also be measured.

(Photo shows litter-mates. Sibling in foreground fed 5 ppm vomitoxin in diet for 7 weeks.)