Aflatoxicosis in chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera)

Objetive. To determine the effects of dietary aflatoxins (AF) on chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera). Materials and methods. A total of 20 male chinchillas were distributed in 5 experimental groups of 4 animals each. Animals received the following levels of dietary AF: 0, 25, 50, 100 and 200 ppb (ng/g) for 8 weeks. Feed intake, individual body weight and mortality were recorded weekly. In addition, the in vitro hepatic metabolism of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was investigated using liver samples from the control group. Results. Exposure to AF did not cause any effect on feed intake or mortality. The only parameter affected significantly (p<0.05) was body weight when 200 ppb AF were added to the diet. Both AF levels of 100 and 200 ppb produced mild to moderate liver changes. Microsomal metabolism of AFB1 showed production of AFB1 epoxide as the only biotransformation product. Conclusions. Results demonstrated that chinchillas were highly resistant to AF and were capable of tolerating for at least two months dietary aflatoxin levels that would be lethal, in just a few days, to sensitive species such as pigs or dogs, in just a few days.