The protective effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the growth performance, intestinal health, and antioxidative capacity of mullet (Liza ramada) fed diets contaminated with aflatoxin B₁

Plant protein ingredients are increasingly included in mullet feeds and are expected to be contaminated with mycotoxins (AFB₁). Thus, this study investigated the protective role of Saccharomyces cerevisiae against oxidative stress and hepato-renal malfunction induced by AFB₁ contamination in mullets. Four diets were formulated, where the first was kept as the control diet, and the second was supplemented with S. cerevisiae at 5 × 10⁶ cells/g. The third diet was supplied with AFB₁ at 1 mg/kg, and the fourth was supplemented with S. cerevisiae and AFB₁. Mullet fed the control or both AFB₁ and S. cerevisiae (yeast/ AFB₁) had similar FBW, WG, SGR, and FCR (P˃0.05). Mullet treated with S. cerevisiae without AFB₁ contamination showed the highest FBW, WG, and SGR (P<0.05), while fish in the AFB₁ group had lower FBW, WG, and SGR and higher FCR than fish in the control and yeast/ AFB₁ groups (P<0.05). Using yeast with AFB₁ prevented pathological hazards and improved intestinal structure. Further, yeast combined with AFB₁ reduced the degenerative changes and enhanced the histological structure except for a mild inflammatory reaction around the bile duct. Fish in the control or yeast/ AFB₁ group had higher HB, PCV, RBCs, and WBCs than fish in the AFB₁ group (P<0.05). Fish fed the control, or the yeast/ AFB₁ diets had similar total protein and albumin levels with higher values than fish contaminated with AFB₁ (P<0.05). Fish fed the control and yeast/ AFB₁ diets had similar ALT, AST, urea, and creatinine levels (P˃0.05) and were lower than fish contaminated with AFB₁. Additionally, fish fed the control and yeast/ AFB₁ diets had similar CAT, GPx, SOD, and MDA (P˃0.05) and were lower than fish contaminated with AFB₁ (P<0.05). In conclusion, incorporating S. cerevisiae ameliorated the negative impacts of AFB₁ toxicity on mullets’ growth, hepato-renal function, and antioxidative capacity.