Acute Toxicity of Aflatoxin B1 in Three Species of Domestic Fowls.

Abstract

Acute toxicity of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) by AFB1-diet (3 ppm) feeding for 7 days was simultaneously examined in infant and adult domestic fowls of 3 species (ducks, chickens, and Japanese quails) from the viewpoint of comparative pathology. As a result, AFB1 brought about high mortality in 5-day-old ducklings. In addition, AFB1 showed a significant depressive effect on egg production in laying ducks, hens, and quails. Moreover, in correspondence to blood biochemical findings such as significant increases in alkaline phosphatase, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, and/or glutamic pyruvic transaminase activities, such hepatic changes as bile duct hyperplasia and fatty degeneration of hepatocytes were common to infant and adult fowls, and the hepatic damage was most frequent and marked in 5-day-old ducklings. In the markedly affected liver, cells showing an intermediate morphology between hepatocytes and bile duct epithelial cells were sometimes observed. Judging from the present study, ducks were considered to be most susceptible to AFB1 as a whole.