LAUSR

Deoxynivalenol (DON, vomitoxin) is one of the most widely distributed trichothecene mycotoxins commonly found in cereal food and feeds. Significant acute and potential chronic toxic effects of DON have been observed in animals and human populations. However, potential adverse effects associated with DON exposure across multiple generations have not been extensively investigated. In this study, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) were used to evaluate the trans-/multi-generational toxicities of DON via 3 physiological endpoints: growth, brood size, and feeding ability. DON concentration at higher than 100 μg/mL significantly inhibited growth, decreased brood size, and reduced food intake in a concentration-dependent manner. Gradual decline in DON-induced impairments was observed in the filial generations when only the parental generation was exposed. However, greater damages in filial generations were found as compared to the parental generation (p < 0.01) with all generations continuously exposed to DON. Overall, the endpoints of brood size and food intake were more sensitive for both trans- and multi-generational toxic effects of DON. Additionally, the interactions between concentrations and generations significantly influence the response of C. elegans to DON exposure, based on a mixed-effect model with multi-level analysis. Taken together, our results demonstrated that DON exposure produced significant trans-/multi-generational toxic effects on C. elegans, which may serve as a model organism to explore molecular mechanisms of long-term adverse health effects of DON.