The Performance and Heamatological Characters in Broiler Chicks Fed Ammonia-Treated Aflatoxin Contaminated Feed

摘要

Aflatoxins (AF), natural contaminants of foodstuffs are toxic metabolites produced by aspergillus flavus and parasiticus. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the ammoniation process on aflatoxin-contaminated corn in chicks Male broiler chicks (n = 320) divided into 4-experimental groups (n = 80) and fed on four different Diets (group A (control), basal diet containing uncontaminated corn; group B, basal diet containing ammonia treated uncontaminated corn; group C, basal diet containing aflatoxin B1 (AFB, 1 ppm); group D, basal diet having ammonia treated aflatoxin contaminated (1 ppm) corn). Detoxification of aflatoxin contaminated corn grains was done in a pilot plant with aqueous ammonia (1%, v/w). Chickens were monitored daily and then body weight and feed consumption were recorded. Every week and at end of the 21 and 42 days of age blood was collected and processed. The ammonia-treated detoxified 98.8% of aflatoxins. The AF treatment (group c) significantly decreased food consumption and body-weight gain and increased food conversion ratio (p<0.05). The results showed that ammonia-treatment improved efficiency of feed utilization as well as body weight (p<0.05). The relative weight of liver, kidney proventriculus and pancreas are decreased by ammonia-treated contaminated corn in comparision with diet containing aflatoxin (p<0.05). There was a significant increase in White blood cells counts mainly consisting of heterophi (p<0.05) in chicks given AF. There were no significant differences in percentage Monocyte and Eosinophil counts. The percentage of haematocrit in a group that fed forth diet increased compared with those fed aflatoxin-contaminated diet (p<0.05). There was alleviation in the alteration hematological parameters in chicks fed with detoxification diet (ammonia-treated). This priminarly study showed that ammoniation of aflatoxin-contaminated corn in a pilot plant (~200Kg) can efficiently modulate the toxic effects of aflatoxin B1 on hematological characters.