Aflatoxicosis In Broiler Chickens Research Articles

Complex means for the prevention of combined mycotoxicosis of birds

Poultry meat is in great demand in the food market. The main method of producing poultry meat is raising broilers. The growth of broiler chickens is largely determined by balanced feeding. In recent years, poultry diets have increasingly included biologically active additives with a pronounced positive effect on the viability and productivity of poultry. In this regard, the purpose of our study was to study the effectiveness of the use of complex preventive measures for experimental combined T-2 and aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens, taking into account the clinical, hematological status and organ weight. Broiler chickens were divided into 4 groups: birds of the first group (biological control) received only complete feed that did not contain mycotoxins; the second group served as a toxic control (feed was contaminated with a mixture of mycotoxins); the third group received a basic diet contaminated with a mixture of mycotoxins with the addition of complex agent No. 1 (plant glucans, hepatoprotector, vitamins E and C, immunostimulant); the fourth group is the main diet, contaminated with a mixture of mycotoxins with the addition of complex agent No. 2 (natural mineral bentonite, succinic acid, immunostimulant, vitamin A, probiotic based on bifidobacteria and lactobacilli). The duration of administration of toxins and prophylactic agents is 21 days. Complex agents were administered at a dose of 0.25% of the diet. As a result of the use of these agents, a decrease in the toxic load on the body was noted, which was manifested by an improvement in the clinical condition of chickens and normalization of morphological blood parameters. These results suggest that the complexes can be an effective means for reducing the toxic effects of mycotoxins on the body of broiler chickens with combined mycotoxicoses.

Protective effects of feed additives on broiler chickens exposed to aflatoxins-contaminated feed: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aflatoxin contamination in feed is a common problem in broiler chickens. The present systematic review and meta-analysis examined the impact of aflatoxin-contaminated feed and the efficacy of various feed additives on the production performance of broiler chickens fed aflatoxin-contaminated feed (AF-feed). A total of 35 studies comprising 53 AF-feed experiments were selected following PRISMA guidelines. Feed additives included in the analyses were toxins binder (TB), mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS), organic acid (OA), probiotics (PRO), protein supplementation (PROT), phytobiotics (PHY), and additive mixture (MIX). Random effects model and a frequentist network meta-analysis (NMA) were performed to rank the efficacy of feed additives, reported as standardized means difference (SMD) at 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Overall, broiler chickens fed AF-feed had significantly lower final body weight (BW) (SMD = 198; 95% CI = 198 to 238) and higher feed conversion ratio (SMD = 0.17; 95% CI = 0.13 to 0.21) than control. Treatments with TB, MOS, and PHY improved the BW of birds fed AF-feed (P < 0.05) to be comparable with non-contaminated feed or control. Predictions on final BW from the broiler-fed aflatoxin-contaminated diet were 15% lower than the control diet. Including feed additives in the aflatoxins diet could ameliorate the depressive effect. Remarkably, our network meta-analysis highlighted that TB was the highest-performing additive (P-score = 0.797) to remedy aflatoxicosis. Altogether, several additives, especially TB, are promising to ameliorate aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens, although the efficacy was low regarding the severity of the aflatoxicosis.

Pathological Studies on the Effect of Prebiotic and Probiotic on Aflatoxicosis in Broiler Chickens

Pathological Studies on the Effect of Prebiotic and Probiotic on Aflatoxicosis in Broiler Chickens

Pathological Studies on the Effect of Prebiotic and Probiotic on Aflatoxicosis in Broiler Chickens

Pathological Studies on the Effect of Prebiotic and Probiotic on Aflatoxicosis in Broiler Chickens

The Effect of Silybum Marianum Seed, Thymus Vulgaris, and Rosmarinus Officinalis Powders in Alleviating the Risks of Aflatoxin B1 in Young Broiler Chicks

Abstract This investigation was aimed to evaluate the effects of Silybum marianum seed, Thymus vulgaris, and Rosmarinus officinalis powders and their combination in alleviating the risks of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in young broiler chicks. One-day-old Ross 308 male broiler chickens were allocated to 6 experimental groups from d 1 to 21. The experimental dietary groups included: Negative control (NC) received the basal diet, Positive control (PC) containing 2 mg AFB1/kg diet; Positive control + 10 g/kg diet of Silybum marianum seed (SMS); Positive control + 10 g/kg diet of Thymus vulgaris (TV); Positive control + 5 g/kg diet of Rosmarinus officinalis (RO); Positive control + 10 g/kg diet of SMS + 10 g/kg diet of TV + 5 g/kg diet of RO as a blend of herbs (BH). There was no difference between feed intake and body weight gain among the experimental groups (P&gt;0.05). In contrast, the feed conversion rate (FCR) in NC and SMS groups was lower than in other groups (P&lt;0.05). Calcium levels and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) were lower in serum samples, but the activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were higher in PC chickens (P&lt;0.05). Increase in the thigh muscle malondialdehyde (MDA) in chickens fed AFB1 was significantly reduced in the NC, SMS, and BH chickens (P&lt;0.05). Chickens of NC and SMS groups showed the highest response to respiratory burst of heterophil (NBT assay) and lymphocyte proliferation assays (MTT assay) (P&lt;0.05). In conclusion, the addition of studied herbs, especially SMS, to the AFB1 contaminated diet could have a protective effect against aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens.

Protective Effect of Urtica dioica Seeds’ Extract in Experimental Chronic Aflatoxicosis in Broiler Chickens

Protective Effect of Urtica dioica Seeds’ Extract in Experimental Chronic Aflatoxicosis in Broiler Chickens

Gene Expression, Immunological and Oxidative Indices of Aflatoxicated Broiler Chickens Supplemented with Alpha-Lipoic Acid

This work aimed to investigate experimentally the effect of lipoic acid as super-antioxidant on the balance between immune and antioxidant status of birds fed aflatoxicated diet as well as histological alterations of immune organs including spleen, thymus, bursa of fabricious and liver. One hundred and twenty-one-day old chicks, fed basal diet till 8th day of age then divided into 4 groups (30 birds/group), each group subdivided into 3 replicates (10 birds/replicate). Group 1: aflatoxicated chickens (125 µg/kg diet). Group 2: aflatoxicated lipoic treated (300 mg/kg diet), Group 3: lipoic treated. Group 4: non-treated (control). The blood samples were collected at 14th day post aflatoxicosis and at the end of experiment, then the serum was separated for HI and different biochemical tests. At the end of experiment, four birds from each group were sacrificed and immune organs (thymus, spleen, bursa of fabricious and liver) were collected for histopathology. Livers were also collected for measurement of apoptotic gene expression Caspase (Cystinyle Aspartate Protease), MDA (Malano-Di-Aldehyde) and TAC (Total Antioxidant Capacity). The results showed the addition of lipoic acid into the aflatoxicated broiler ration improved the antibody titer against Newcastle Disease Virus NDV, hepatic apoptotic gene expression, TAC, and the level of different biochemical parameters (protein profile, lipid profile, bilirubin, total calcium and alkaline phosphatase). It was alleviated the toxic effect of aflatoxin on the histological structure of liver, and immune organs. Therefore, lipoic acid could be implicated as a dependent approach in the control of aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens. Keywords: Aflatoxin, broiler chickens, histopathology, immunity, lipoic acid.

Lithothamnium calcareum (Pallas) Areschoug seaweed adsorbs aflatoxin B1 in vitro and improves broiler chicken's performance.

This study aimed to evaluate the aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) adsorption capacity of the seaweed Lithothamnium calcareum in vitro and to prevent aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens. In vitro adsorption assays were performed at a single AFB1 concentration (1μg/mL) and four seaweed concentrations (0.50, 1, 1.5 and 2mg/mL) at pH 3 and pH 6. The maximum adsorption was obtained at the lowest seaweed content (0.62 and 0.78μg/mg). Male broiler chickens (256) were housed in metallic cages. Experimental diets were T1 (control), 18μg/kg AFB1; T2, 18μg/kg AFB1 and 0.2% L. calcareum (2.0kg/ton); T3, 1018μg/kg AFB1; and T4, 1018μg/kg AFB1 and 0.2% L. calcareum. Performance parameters (live weight, weight gain and feed conversion rate) improved when seaweed was applied. The aspartate-aminotransferase and alanine-aminotransferase levels tend to decrease in birds receiving only seaweed, also the uric acid levels reduced significantly (P˂0.05), while birds receiving only AFB1 increased the biochemical parameter levels. The livers from animals fed with AFB1 showed histopathological alterations with disorganization of periportal hepatocytes, necrosis with multifocal coagulation and mild fat degeneration; the livers from T4 had normal appearance. Lithothamnium calcareum was able to prevent aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens and also improved their zootechnical performance.

The Protective Role of Date Palm (Phoenix Dactylifera Seeds) against Aflatoxicosis in Broiler Chickens Regarding Carcass Characterstics, Hepatic and Renal Biochemical Function Tests and Histopathology.

The Protective Role of Date Palm (Phoenix Dactylifera Seeds) against Aflatoxicosis in Broiler Chickens Regarding Carcass Characterstics, Hepatic and Renal Biochemical Function Tests and Histopathology.

Hepatoprotective and Immunostimulatory Effect of Ganoderma, Andrographolide and Turmeric Against Aflatoxicosis in Broiler Chickens

Hepatoprotective and Immunostimulatory Effect of Ganoderma, Andrographolide and Turmeric Against Aflatoxicosis in Broiler Chickens

Effect of Combined Clostridium perfringens Infection and Aflatoxicosis in Broiler Chickens

ABSTRACT: Necrotic enteritis causes significant economic losses to the poultry industry which is always increased in chickens exposed to feed contaminated with aflatoxins. So we had done this study to investigate the effect of C. perfringens on broiler chickens alone and in combination with aflatoxins compared with control negative group. A total of 106 samples (43 liver and 63 intestinal samples) collected from 38 flocks of diseased broiler chickens suffering from diarrhea were examined for C. perfringens isolation and revealed the presence of C. perfringens with percentage of 51.1 % and 80.9% in liver and intestine respectively with total percentage 66%. Aflatoxin was prepared at concentration 250 ppbkg ration. During the experiment we examined 100 commercial broiler chickens which were divided to four groups: control group (A), group (B), infected with C. Perfringens type A via oral gavages by inoculation of 1ml of 6x108cfu daily for 3 consecutive days [16th-17th –and 18th days of age], group fed aflatoxins at dose 250 ppb from the first day till 28 days old (C) and group both infected with C.perfringens and aflatoxin fed with the same doses mentioned before (D). Aflatoxin decreased gain and feed intake and resulted in increased mortality, higher lesion scores and increased liver and kidney functions. Inducing necrotic enteritis concurred with aflatoxicosis increased lesion scores and decreased feed intake and gain more than aflatoxin alone. The great intervals proved the severe negative impact of aflatoxin on broiler performance which increased a lot when complicated with clostridial infection.

Determination of liver and muscle aflatoxin B1 residues and select serum chemistry variables during chronic aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens.

Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites of the fungus Aspergillus sp. The presence of aflatoxin in poultry feeds results in direct toxicity and economic losses, and human health hazards after consumption of contaminated liver and meat. The study was conducted to assess tissue residues of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), and alterations in select clinical chemistry variables in serum during chronic aflatoxicosis in broiler chicks fed different dietary levels of AFB1. Six groups of broiler chickens were fed diets containing between 0 and 800 ppb of AFB1 for 28 days. Groups of birds were terminated on days 0, 5, 13, 15, 20, and 28, and AFB1 levels were determined by HPLC in liver and muscle. Serum activities of ALT and ALP, and total protein and albumin concentrations were determined. No AFB1 residues were detected in liver after 50 ppb AFB1, and muscle after 50 and 100 ppb AFB1 feeding. Residues above the permissible threshold (> 2.0 ng/g) were only detected in liver tissues of groups fed 400 ppb and 800 ppb AFB1 in feed. The ALT and ALP activities in treated groups were significantly higher, and total protein and albumin concentrations were significantly lower in all treated groups compared to controls. Continuous feeding of AFB1 to broiler chicken at levels of 50 and 100 ppb for 28 days did not reveal measurable AFB1 residues in muscle tissues. Serum values of ALT, ALP, total protein, and albumin may serve as markers for chronic aflatoxicosis in affected poultry.

Effect of Methionine Supplementation in Ameliorating Aflatoxicosis in Broiler Chickens

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of methionine (Met) in combating the experimental aflatoxicosis (AF) in broiler chickens. Two hundred and forty, day-old broiler chicks were divided into six treatment groups containing five replicates of 8 birds each (T1: control; T2: T1+250 ppb AFB1; T3: T1+0.05% Met; T4: T1+0.1% Met; T5: T2+0.05% Met; T6: T2+0.1% Met) and the experiment was continued for 42d. During this period (0–6 weeks), the BW gain (BWG) of broilers in control group (T1) was significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of aflatoxin alone fed group (T2). The BWG in T3, T4 and T6 was statistically similar to that of control, however, the BWG in T5 was significantly (P<0.05) lower than that of control (T1). Supplementation of 0.1% Met in AF contaminated diet significantly (P<0.05) improved the BWG. The overall feed intake (FI) in groups (T3, T4, T5 and T6) was statistically similar to that of control group (T1), however, the FI in group T2 was significantly (P<0.05) reduced compared to control (T1). The overall FCR in AF fed group (T2) was higher (P<0.05) than that of control. The FCR in all other treatment groups was statistically similar to that of control group (T1) barring treatment T5. Feeding of AF increased (P<0.05) the relative weights of liver and spleen while decreased in weight of bursa. These effects of AF were ameliorated by supplementation of 0.1% Met. It was concluded that 250 ppb aflatoxin in broiler diet impaired the performance in terms of BW gain, feed intake, FCr and relative organ weights. Supplementation of 0.1% methionine to the aflatoxin contaminated diet had pronounced ameliorative effect on performance of the birds.

Efficacy of zinc in amelioration of aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens

In the present study the effect of zinc supplementation in ameliorating aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens was studied. Day-old broiler chicks (240) were divided into 6 treatment groups containing 5 replicates of 8 birds each (T1–control; T2- T1+ 250 ppb AFB1; T3- T1+ 20 mg Zn/kg; T4- T1+ 40 mg Zn/kg; T5– T2 + 20 mg Zn/kg; T6- T2 + 40 mg Zn/kg diet) and the experiment was conducted from day 1 to 42 days of age. During overall growth period (0–6 weeks), the weight gain of broilers in control (T1) was 1,341.90 g as against 1,123.43 g in aflatoxin (AF) fed group (T2) which was significantly lower. The body weight gain (BWG) in T3, T4 and T6 was statistically similar to that of control, however the BWG in T5 was higher than T2 but could not match with that of control (T1). Supplementation of 40 mg Zn/kg in AF contaminated diet significantly improved the BWG. The overall feed intake (FI) in groups (T3, T4, T5 and T6) was statistically similar to that of control group, however, the FI in group T2 was significantly reduced compared to control. The overall FCR in AF fed group (T2) was higher than that of control. The FCR in all other treatment groups was statistically similar to that of control. AF increased the relative weights of liver and spleen while decreased in weight of bursa. These effects of AF were ameliorated by supplementation of 40 mg Zn/kg feed. It was concluded that aflatoxin contamination (250 ppb) in broiler diet impaired the performance in terms of body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion efficiency and relative organ weights. Supplementation of 40 mg Zn/kg to the aflatoxin contaminated diet ameliorated the ill effects of aflatoxicosis on performance of the birds.

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Feed Additives to Counteract the Toxic Effects of Aflatoxicosis in Broiler Chickens

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate (HSCAS) and a phytobiotic (turmeric powder) to counteract the toxic effects of aflatoxin B1 in broiler chickens. Five hundred, day-old broiler chicks were divided equally into five groups. Birds of group (1) were fed on plain ration containing neither aflatoxin B1 nor treatment, while birds in groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 were fed on ration contaminated with aflatoxin B1 at concentration of 2.5 ppm of ration from day old till the end of the experiment. Chickens in group (2) were given ration contaminated with aflatoxin B1 only. Group (3) was treated with HSCAS at a concentration of 0.5%, while group (4) was fed on ration containing turmeric powder in a dose of 80 mg/kg of the ration. Chickens in group (5) were given concomitant HSCAS and turmeric powder at the recommended doses. All groups were kept under observation till 5 weeks of age. The results cleared that treatment of aflatoxicated birds either with HSCAS or turmeric powder even their combination induced protection from the development of signs and lesions with significant (p<0.05) improvement of performance when compared with un-treated control group. Both HSCAS and turmeric powder treatment induced significant (p<0.05) amelioration of the measured organs body weights ratio, humoral immune response to Newcastle Disease (ND) and biochemical parameters in aflatoxicated chickens. In conclusion, addition of HSCAS and or turmeric powder can be considered an integrated approach for the control of aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens.

Effects of Bacillus subtilis ANSB060 on growth performance, meat quality and aflatoxin residues in broilers fed moldy peanut meal naturally contaminated with aflatoxins

This study was conducted to investigate the toxic effects of aflatoxins and the efficacy of Bacillus subtilis ANSB060 for the amelioration of aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens. Six replicates of ten broilers each were assigned to one of seven dietary treatments, which were labeled C0 (basal diet); M0 (basal diet containing moldy peanut meal); C500 and C1000 (C0+500 or 1000 g/t aflatoxin biodegradation preparations, composed mainly of ANSB060); and M500, M1000 and M2000 (M0+500, 1000 or 2000 g/t aflatoxin biodegradation preparations). The concentrations of aflatoxin B₁, B₂, G₁ and G₂ in the moldy diets (M0, M500, M100 and M2000) fluctuated around 70.7±1.3, 11.0±1.5, 6.5±0.8 and 2.0±0.3 μg/kg, respectively. The results showed that the M0 diet caused a significant decrease in average daily weight gain and increased feed requirements, with a gain ratio increasing from d 8 to 42, deterioration in meat quality and aflatoxin residues in broilers' livers as compared with the C0 diet. The addition of ANSB060 to the aflatoxin-contaminated diets offset these negative effects, leading to the conclusion that ANSB060 has a protective effect on growth performance and meat quality while reducing the amount of aflatoxin residues in the livers of broilers fed naturally moldy peanut meal.

Effect of nanosilver on blood parameters in chickens having aflatoxicosis

This experiment is designed to investigate the positive effects of commercial nanosilver compound on blood parameters in experimental aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens. For this, 270 one-day-old broiler chickens were randomly divided into six treatment groups with three replicates. The experimental groups were group A: chickens fed with basal diet; group B: chickens fed with 3ppm productive aflatoxin in basal diet; groups of C, D, E and F received Mycoad (2.5 g/kg diet), Mycoad (2.5 g/kg diet) + productive aflatoxin (3 ppm), Nanocid (2500 ppm), and Nanocid (2500 ppm) + productive aflatoxin (3 ppm) in basal diet, respectively. Results revealed that some of the blood parameters such as mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration lymphocytes, neutrophils, basophils, monocytes, and eosinophils percentage were not affected in this experiment; whereas, hemoglobin percentage and white blood cell (WBC) count in all the groups fed with 3ppm aflatoxin except nanocid+aflatoxin decreased significantly (p<0.05). There are no significant differences between the groups that received nanocid+aflatoxin and mycoad+aflatoxin in hemoglobin percentage and WBC count parameters. The red blood cell count and hematocrit in chickens received aflatoxin were significantly lower than other groups (p<0.05). Therefore, this study suggests that nanocid similar as mycoad can be useful in reducing the adverse effects of aflatoxin on blood parameters in chickens affected with aflatoxicosis.

Evaluation of turmeric extract on performance indices impressed by induced aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens

The purpose of this study was evaluation of ethanolic turmeric extract (ETE; Curcuma longa) effect on overall performance including body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) weekly and cumulative for a period of 4 weeks with 300 commercial broiler chicks (Ross strain). These chicks were randomly divided into four groups with three replicates of 15 chicks in each replicate. In group A, chickens were fed a basal diet, in group B, chickens were fed a basal diet plus 3 ppm productive aflatoxin. In group C, chickens consumed a basal diet plus 0.05% ETE and in group D, chickens received a basal diet with 0.05% ETE plus 3 ppm productive aflatoxin. Aflatoxin production by Aspergillus parasiticus (PTTC NO:1850) in maize was according to the Shotwell method. The results revealed that there were no significant differences in BW, BWG and FCR between groups fed turmeric at 0.05% and the control group. The supplement of ETE in a diet containing 3 ppm aflatoxin can significantly improve performance indices compared with the group that consumed aflatoxin alone. In conclusion, our results suggest that turmeric extract (Curcuma longa) can provide protection against the negative effects of aflatoxin on performance of broiler chickens.

Sodium bentonite and monensin under chronic aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens

Clay feed additives have been increasingly incorporated into animal diets to prevent aflatoxicosis. Due to the nonselective nature of the binding interaction, many important components of the diets could also be made unavailable because of these feed additives. The anticoccidial monensin (MON) could also be sequestered by these clays. The use of sodium bentonite (Na-B) from a mine in the province of Mendoza, Argentina, was investigated as a sequestering agent to prevent the effects of 100 µg/kg of dietary aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)). In vitro studies demonstrated that the above Na-B was a good candidate to prevent aflatoxicosis. They also showed that MON competes with AFB(1) for the adsorption sites on the clay surface and effectively displaces the toxin when it is in low concentration. Even though the levels of MON in diets, approximately 55 mg/kg, are high enough to not be significantly changed as a consequence of the adsorption, they can further affect the ability of the clays to bind low levels of AFB(1). An in vivo experiment carried out with poultry showed that 100 µg/kg of AFB(1) does not significantly change productive or biochemical parameters. However, liver histopathology not only confirmed the ability of this particular Na-B to prevent aflatoxicosis but also the decrease of this capacity in the presence of 55 mg/kg of MON. This is the first report stressing this fact and further research should be performed to check if this behavior is a characteristic of the assayed Na-B or of this type of clay. On the other hand, the presence of MON should also be taken into account when assaying the potential AFB(1) binding ability of a given bentonite.

Mycofix ameliorative effect on Newcastle disease antibody production in broiler chickens during aflatoxicosis

Three experiments were conducted to elucidate the alleviation effects of Mycofix plus 3.0 on Newcastle antibody formation during aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens. Three levels of Mycofix (0.05%, 0.15%, and 0.25%) and aflatoxin (2.5ppm, 3.5ppm, and 5ppm) were used. Chickens were vaccinated at 8 and 18 days of age. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Haemagglutination inhibition tests were employed for determination Newcastle antibody titers at 28 days. The results showed that, Mycofix , and only at its high level of addition (0.25%) was effective in ameliorating the negative effect of aflatoxin at the rates 2.5ppm and 3.5 ppm levels of inclusion on antibody production but not at the high level of 5ppm on antibody production, comparing with titers in control groups.