Comparative Effects of Deoxynivalenol and Deepoxy-Deoxynivalenol on Porcine Oocyte Maturation and Embryonic Development, and the Partial Protective Role of Resveratrol

Mycotoxin contamination of animal feed is a major threat to livestock reproduction. Deoxynivalenol (DON), a trichothecene mycotoxin, disrupts cellular function by binding to ribosomes and inducing ribotoxic stress, oxidative imbalance, and apoptosis. Its primary microbial metabolite, deepoxy-deoxynivalenol (DOM-1), is thought to be less toxic, but its reproductive effects remain unclear. Here, we evaluated the effects of DON (250, 500, 1000 ng/mL) and DOM-1 (250, 500, 1000 ng/mL) on porcine oocyte maturation and embryonic development in vitro, and examined whether resveratrol (Res, 2 μM) could mitigate DON-induced toxicity. DON exposure reduced cumulus expansion, decreased maturation rates, and impaired developmental competence in a dose-dependent manner, with complete developmental arrest at 1000 ng/mL. DON-treated oocytes showed elevated ROS, reduced GSH, and upregulation of ER stress– and apoptosis-related genes (ATF4, XBP1, CHOP, BAX), alongside downregulation of the anti-apoptotic gene BCL2. In contrast, DOM-1 had no significant effects compared with controls, except for a modest reduction in blastocyst rate at the highest concentration. Resveratrol did not restore cumulus expansion or nuclear maturation but attenuated DON-induced ER stress markers, stabilized BCL2 expression, and enabled some DON-exposed oocytes to develop to blastocysts. These findings demonstrate that DON exerts dose-dependent toxicity on porcine oocytes through oxidative stress and ER stress–mediated apoptosis, whereas DOM-1 is largely non-toxic. Resveratrol provides partial protection, suggesting its potential as a dietary intervention to reduce reproductive losses caused by DON.