Research Number (3)

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

Chickens 

Wafaa A. Abd El-Ghany1, M.E. Hatem2, M. Ismail3

1Associate Professor, Poultry Diseases Department, Faculty Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

2Professor, Microbiology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt

3Professor of Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicines and Animal Resources, Al-Ahsa Kingdom Saudi Arabia

Aim of the workThis work was designed to evaluate the

efficacy of certain feed additives containing hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS) as well as a phytobiotic (turmeric powder) (TP) either singly or in combination to counteract the adverse toxic effects of aflatoxin B1 in broiler chickens.

Experimental design Five hundred, day-old broiler chicks were randomly divided

into 5 equal groups (1-5) of 100 birds assigned to 2 replicates of 50 each.

Birds of group (1) were fed on plain ration containing neither aflatoxin B1 nor treatment (blank control negative), while birds in groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 were fed on ration contaminated with aflatoxin B1 from day old till the end of the experiment (5 weeks). Chickens in group (2) were given ration contaminated with aflatoxin B1 only (2.5 ppm) (control positive).

Group (3) was treated with HSCAS (5 g/kg ration), while group (4) was fed on ration containing TP (80 mg/kg ration). Chickens in group (5) were given ration containing HSCAS and TP at the recommended doses.

Measured parametersSymptoms, mortalities and gross lesions for 5 weeks.Zootechnical performance: Feed conversion rate (FCR) and European Production

Efficiency Factor (EPEF) (weekly).Absolute and Relative organ weight:At 5 weeks of age, 5 birds/group weight and Liver,

kidneys, gizzard, spleen, thymus glands and bursae of Fabricus (Absolute and relative organ to Body weight index).

Humoral Immunity: HI test against ND vaccine (weekly).

Measured parametersSerum biochemical variables:Total proteins and albumin [Albumin/ globulin

(A/G) ratio].Urease and creatinine.Apsertate aminotransferase (AST) and Alanine

aminotransferase (ALT).

ResultsSigns of depression and anorexia in groups fed on

aflatoxin B1 contaminated ration. The signs were more less pronounced in treated groups.

No deaths were seen in all groups.Sacrificed chickens at 5 weeks old showed enlarged

pale friable liver with haemorrhagic patches on the surface, enlarged pale kidneys, reduced size of spleen, thymus glands and bursa of Fabricus and haemorrhages on thigh muscles. The lesion severity deceased in treated groups especially group treated with combined HSCAS and TP.

ResultsTreatment of aflatoxicated birds either with HSCAS or

TP even their combination induced significant (P<0.05) improvement of performance when compared with un-treated control group.

Both HSCAS and TP treatment either alone or in combination induced significant (P<0.05) amelioration of the measured organs body weights ratio.

Humoral immune response to ND vaccine was significantly (P<0.05) enhanced after each group treatment compared with non-treated intoxicated group.

A/G ratio, kidneys and liver function tests were significantly (P<0.05) ameliorated in the treated chickens than un-treated aflatoxicated ones.

Treatment

Body weight/gramAge/Week Cumulative

FCR EPEF1st 2nd

3rd 4th 5th

Blank (Control negative)

*113.44±1.2a 288.56±2.9a 590.57±4.2a 996.37±5.5a 1298.63±6.0a 1.64± 0.10a 240.41±7.32a*

AFB1 (Control positive)

80.54±1.0b 190.43±2.1b 301.29±3.3b 563.19±4.0b 716.29± 5.3b 2.61± 0.32b 68.10 ±1.50b

AFB1+HSCAS 90.85±1.1bc 240.78±3.6c 434.72±3.5c 871.86±4.2c 1009.75±6.9c 2.01± 0.40c 199.18± 3.74c

AFB1+TP 95.89± 1.4c 254.81±2.0c 456.43±2.6c 895.61±6.4c 1107.23±7.9c 1.91± 0.13ac 216.85± 5.10c

AFB1+Concomitant HSCAS&TP

114.21± 1.7a 281.643±2.5a 585.34±4.7a 990.71±5.1a 1200.73±6.0a 1.71± 0.21a 233.24± 7.12a

* Means with different superscripts, within age, are significantly different (P ≤ 0.05).AFB1: Aflatoxin B1 contaminated ration (2.5 ppm).HSCAS: Hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (5 g/kg ration).TP: Tumeric powder (80 mg/kg ration)FCR: Feed conversion rate.EPEF: The European production efficiency factor (EPEF).

Effect of hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate and turmeric powder on zootechnical performance parameters of aflatoxicated broiler chickens.

Treatment

Liver Kidney Gizzard Spleen Thymus glands Bursa of Fabricus

Absolute Weight

Relative Weight

Absolute Weight

Relative Weight

Absolute Weight

Relative Weight

Absolute Weight

Relative Weight

Absolute Weight

Relative Weight

Absolute Weight

Relative Weight

Blank (Control negative)

*19.15a±0.6 1.9±0.2a 8.15±0.4a 0.99±0.1a 22.15±0.2a 3.11±0.1a 0.87±0.01a 0.187±0.03a 2.98±0.05a 0.30±0.02a 2.79±0.06a 0.29±0.04a

AFB1 (Control positive)

16.87±0.3c 2.87±0.1c 6.32±0.3c 1.53±0.1d 19.11±0.3c 4.02±0.1b 0.16±0.02b 0.035±0.002b 0.63±0.01b 0.10±0.04b 1.01±0.04b 0.12±0.1b

AFB1+HSCAS 13.92±0.5 b 2.19±0.2c 5.76±0.1bc 1.0±0.4a 18.20±0.1 c 3.23±0.1 a 0.29±0.02b 0.065±0.01c 1.09±0.02bc 0.13±0.03b 1.87±0.05c 0.18±0.11c

AFB1+TP 14.76±0.6bc 1.81±0.3a 5.41±0.2 bc 0.60±0.2c 18.64±0.1 c 3.02±0.2 a 0.56±0.01c 0.086±0.01c 1.87±0.03c 0.20±0.05a 2.05±0.01ac 0.21±0.12a

AFB1+Concomitant HSCAS&

TP

13.54±0.4b 1.44±0.2b 4.97±0.2b 0.23±0.3b 17.98±0.0b 2.95±0.1a 0.78±0.03a 0.110±0.02a 2.76±0.04a 0.29±0.01a 2.57±0.07 a 0.25±0.01a

* Means with different superscripts are significantly different (P ≤ 0.05).AFB1: Aflatoxin B1 contaminated ration (2.5 ppm).

HSCAS: Hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (5 g/kg ration).

Effect of hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate and turmeric powder on absolute and relative organs weights in aflatoxicated broiler chickens.

TreatmentHI titers/Age/Week

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Blank (Control negative) *5.0 ±0.21a 4.2±0.20a 6.8±0.18a 5.6±0.16a 6.1±0.11a

AFB1 (Control positive) 2.1±0.50b 1.98±0.2b 4.61±0.2b 3.7±0.17b 3.9±0.18b

AFB1+HSCAS 3.2±0.33bc 2.9±0.27c 5.9±0.26a 4.0±0.33c 5.1±0.36c

AFB1+TP 4.0±0.24c 3.8±0.27a 6.0±0.36a 4.2±0.20c 5.7±0.19a

AFB1+Concomitant HSCAS&TP

4.8±0.43a 3.9±0.21a 6.7±0.23a 5.1±0.29a 5.9 ±0.31a

Effect of hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate and turmeric powder on haemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody titers against Newcastle disease vaccine in aflatoxicated broiler chickens

* Means with different superscripts are significantly different (P ≤ 0.05).AFB1: Aflatoxin B1 contaminated ration (2.5 ppm).

HSCAS: Hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (5 g/kg ration).TP: Tumeric powder (80 mg/kg ration)

Treatment

Serum biochemical variables (5 weeks of age)

Total

protein

Albumin

(A) mg/dL

Globulin

(G)

mg/dL

A/G ratioUrease

(mg/dL)

Creatinine

(mg/dL)

AST

(IU/L)

ALT

(IU/L)

Blank (Control negative)

*3.46 ±0.05a 1.53 ±0.03a 1.93±0.02 a 0.79 ±0.05 ac 15.11 ±0.13a 0.42±0.03a 198.17±1.08a 67.32±3.05a

AFB1 (Control positive)

1.27±0.07b 0.67±0.05 b 0.60±0.02 b 1.11±0.02 b 24.31 ±0.10b 0.84±0.02b 301.76±1.14b 102.11±2.39b

AFB1+HSCAS 3.40±0.03 a 1.60±0.02 a 1.80±0.01 a 0.88±0.04 c 21.67±0.31bc 0.71±0.04c 235.82±1.20c 75.64±4.11c

AFB1+TP 2.81±0.08 c 1.30±0.07a 1.51±0.01c 0.86±0.03 c 19.62±0.23c 0.59±0.06ac 226.71±1.32c 70.45±6.01c

AFB1+Concomitant HSCAS&

TP

3.15±0.09 a 1.10±0.06a 2.05±0.03a 0.53±0.043a 16.89±0.14a 0.46±0.01a 205.99±0.10a 60.75±1.68a

* Means with different superscripts are significantly different (P ≤ 0.05).AFB1: Aflatoxin B1 contaminated ration (2.5 ppm).HSCAS: Hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (5 g/kg ration).TP: Tumeric powder (80 mg/kg ration)AST: Aspartate aminotransferase ALT: Alanine aminotransferase

Effect of hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate and turmeric powder on serum biochemical variables of aflatoxicated broiler chickens.

ConclusionAflatoxin B1 causes severe adverse toxic side

effects on broiler chickens; this damage was obvious from the results of clinical view (signs and lesions), zootechnical performance parameters, relative organs weights, immune response and serum biochemical variables.

Dietary addition of HSCAS or TP either separately or concomitantly significantly diminished the toxicity resulting from aflatoxin B1.

So, HSCAS and/or TP can be considered an integrated approach for the control of aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens.