J. F. Ort

Acute Toxicity of Cyclopiazonic Acid in Selected Avian Species

Cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), a toxic indole tetramic acid with a molecular weight of 336.1, was first isolated and identified as a metabolite of Penicillium cyclopium Westling (Holzapfel, 1968). Several species of Penicillium and Aspergillus have been shown to produce CPA, including A. flavus (Dorner, 1983; Dorner et al., 1984; Gallagher et al., 1978; Holzapfel, 1968; Le Bars, 1979; Leistner and Pitt, 1977; Luk et al., 1977; Ohmono et al., 1973). Both peanuts and corn may be naturally contaminated with CPA and aflatoxin Bi (Gallagher et al., 1978; Lansden and Davidson, 1983). P. camemberti Thom, used in the commercial production of cheeses such as Camembert and Brie, was discovered to produce CPA (0.1 to 1.5 µg/g) in the mycelial crust but not in the interior of these cheeses (Le Bars, 1979).

Subacute Toxicity of Cyclopiazonic Acid in Broiler Chicks Fed Normal and High Zinc Diets

Cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) was first isolated and identified as a toxic metabolite of Penicillium cyclopium Westling (Holzapfel, 1968). Corn and peanuts may be naturally contaminated with both CPA and aflatoxin B1 (Gallagher et al., 1978; Lansden and Davidson, 1983). Cyclopiazonic acid was relatively toxic in most animal studies (Purchase, 1971; Dorner et al., 1983; Lomax et al., 1984; Morrissey et al., 1984; Morrissey et al., 1985; Nuehring et al., 1985; Cullen et al., 1988; Wilson et al., 1989) and the 72 hr oral LD50 of CPA in day-old broiler chicks was 12 mg/kg body weight (BW) (Wilson et al., 1989).