Author(s):
Gomes, Bianca ; Dias, Marta ; Cervantes, Renata ; Pena, Pedro ; Twarużek, Magdalena ; Kosicki, Robert ; Grajewski, Jan ; Carolino, Elisabete ; Viegas, Susana ; Viegas, Carla
Date: 2025
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10362/189670
Origin: Repositório Institucional da UNL
Subject(s): Food safety; Growth performance; Mycotoxins; Poultry production; Toxigenic fungi; Food Science; Agronomy and Crop Science; Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous); SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being; SDG 13 - Climate Action
Description
Funding Information: This work is supported by FCT \u2013 Funda\u00E7\u00E3o para a Ci\u00EAncia e Tecnologia, I.P. by the project UI/BD/153746/2022 ( https://doi.org/10.54499/UI/BD/153746/2022 ) and CE3C unit UIDB/00329/2020 ( https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/00329/2020 ); It is also supported by FCT / MCTES UIDP/05608/2020 ( https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDP/05608/2020 ) and UIDB/05608/2020 ( https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/05608/2020 ; 2023.01366.BD; 2023.01366.BD , https://doi.org/10.54499/2023.01366.BD ); UI/BD/151431/2021(UI/BD/151431/2021\u2033 title = \" https://doi.org/10.54499/UI/BD/151431/2021 \"> https://doi.org/10.54499/UI/BD/151431/2021 ) and also by Instituto Polit\u00E9cnico de Lisboa , Lisbon projects IPL/IDI&CA2024/WWTPSValor_ESTeSL and IPL/IDI&CA2024/MycoSOS_ESTeSL . Publisher Copyright: © 2025
Poultry farms are hostpost for fungi and mycotoxins proliferation. Still, seasonal dynamics on of these hazards on farm and their impacts on animals/workers health, and lastly on food safety remain unexplored. This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of seasonal (summer/winter) fungal/mycotoxins exposure in poultry farms environment (Electrostatic dust cloths (EDC), feed, bed) and broiler chicken tissues (breast, liver) to identify potential exposure risks for broiler chickens/workers health and food safety. Viable mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxins profile (LC-MS/MS) was characterized and cytotoxicity assessment was performed using A549 (human alveolar epithelial) and SK (swine kidney) cells. Zootechnical parameters were also measured to evaluate broiler chickens’ growth performance. Summer conditions favour the proliferation of mycotoxigenic fungi belonging to Penicillium and Aspergillus genera, where co-contamination of hazardous mycotoxins (ZEN/TRCs/FBs) was prevalent. Considering cytotoxicity assessment, EDC samples induce high toxicity in 47 % of A549 cells during summer, whereas on bed samples, high toxicity was obtained during winter on both cell lines (100 % SK cells; 83 % A549 cells). Our results evidence diverse exposure pathways (inhalation, dermal contact) and seasonal health risks. Regarding mycotoxins in biological samples, ZEN was detected in 53.3 % of liver samples, highlighting chronic exposure risks. Thus, future research should focus on toxicokinetics/toxicodynamics of co-occurring mycotoxins in animal production environments and their subsequent human exposure through the food chain. Given that climate change may exacerbate seasonal fungal/mycotoxin contamination, understanding these interactions is crucial for improving risk assessment frameworks and to implement protection measures on the farm level and along the food chain.
