Department of Animal Physiology and Health

Last modified: 24. October 2022

In addition to its teaching activity, our Department conducts mainly interdisciplinary (animal physiology, animal health, toxicological and production physiology) research based on a modern laboratory background. In addition to the above-mentioned activities, the staff members of the Department are active participants in wildlife health, animal reproduction and digestive physiology research as well.

The Department also hosts two theme-specific research groups. The Mycotoxins in the Food Chain Research group conducts mostly exploratory research to reveal the harmful effects exerted by mycotoxins contaminating the food chain and by their metabolites, and to strengthen the scientific foundations of an efficient risk assessment. Our studies surveying the fumonisin B exposure of the human population in different regions of Hungary are unique in Europe. Our research results can be utilised in risk assessment, for determining the tolerable limits of toxic food chain contaminants and also in animal production, for elaborating the quality indices of feedstuffs.

The One Health concept is based on the recognition that the health of humans, animals and the environment is interrelated and can be studied and protected only through the co-operation of specialists from multiple disciplines. Within the One Health approach, especially important areas are food safety, zoonosis and the control of antimicrobial resistance. The main research fields of the One Health Group include reduction of the ecological footprint of animal production, the management of plant stress caused by the climate change and the monitoring of antimicrobial resistance and certain zoonotic diseases.

Research fields of the Department:

• Exploration of the effects of mycotoxins exerted on the composition of the gastrointestinal ecosystem/microbiota, on lipid peroxidation and on the activity of certain intrinsic enzymes.
• In vitro study of the combined, dose- and exposure time-related cytotoxic, genotoxic and spermatotoxic effects of fumonisins, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, T-2 toxin and their metabolites.
• Monitoring of the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in wildlife species living in their natural environment.
• The role of free-living populations of predatory species in the transmission of certain zoonotic and non-zoonotic diseases.