The Ability of Some Clay Minerals and Activated Charcoal to Reduce the Negative Effects of Aflatoxin B1, a Contaminant of Broiler Diet

Abstract

The research was conducted to determine the effect of four types of clay minerals (Iraqi bentonite, English bentonite, Turkish bentonite, and Iraqi kaolin) and activated charcoal on reducing the negative effects of aflatoxin B1, which contaminates poultry feed at a concentration of 350 ppb. The results showed that the average bird weight reached 1134.5 grams in the aflatoxin treatment alone, with a significant difference compared to the control treatment (1690 grams). Adding English bentonite to the contaminated feed was efficient in reducing the impact of aflatoxin, as the bird weight did not differ significantly from the control treatment and reached 1686.9 grams, followed by Turkish bentonite, with an average bird weight of 1618.8 grams, and then Iraqi bentonite with an average weight of 1533.2 grams. The results also indicated that the relative weights of the liver, spleen, and pancreas increased in birds treated with aflatoxin alone. However, the addition of different clay minerals and activated charcoal led to a decrease in the relative weights of the internal organs. The relative weight of the heart and Proventriculus was not affected by the addition of aflatoxin to the feed. Blood analysis results showed a significant decrease in protein and albumin concentrations in the blood of birds treated with aflatoxin alone compared to the control treatment. Additionally, the different additions of clay minerals and activated charcoal had a positive effect on protein concentrations in the blood. Aflatoxin also caused a decrease in blood hemoglobin and red blood cell counts, an increase in white blood cell counts, and an increase in the Neutrophil/Lymphocyte index in birds treated with aflatoxin. However, blood viscosity did not change between the aflatoxin treatment and the other treatments.