Abstract
Dietary aflatoxins fed to 72 day old laying Japanese quail for six weeks at low levels of 2, 4, or 6 μg./gm. of feed caused malperformances. There were changes in feed conversion, egg production, egg weight, hatchability, and exterior and interior quality of the eggs. Macroscopic pathological changes were mainly in the liver and the bile duct. The ultrastructure of the liver showed an extensive cytoplasmic hyperplasia of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum with extensive detachment of ribosomal particles from the membranes. Changes in mitochondria and their cristae were observed. Pathological alterations in the nuclear membrane, nucleous and in the chromatin material were prominent. Low levels of aflatoxins did cause a drastic decrease in the metabolic performances, especially during the second and third weeks. Pathological alterations in the liver parenchyma were observed.
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