Evaluation of the Effects of New Combined Adsorbent on Occurrence of Pathological Lesions in Aflatoxin B1‐Challenged Broiler Chickens

Abstract

This experiment was performed to investigate the protective effect of a new combined adsorbent (bentonite + yeast cellwall extract) previously tested in vitro, on the occurrence of pathological lesions in broilers fed a diet contaminated with aflatoxinB1 until 21 days of age. A total of 96 one-day old Ross 308 hybrid broiler chickens were divided into four groups: group I (control),group II (5 g/kg adsorbent), group III (5 g/kg adsorbent + 2 mg/kg aflatoxin B1), and group IV (2 mg/kg aflatoxin B1). Grossly,AFB1 and AFB1+adsorbent fed birds showed enlargement, friable texture of liver and enlargement and pallorness of kidneys. Spleenrevealed size reduction. No gross-pathological changes were observed in control and group II. Histopathologically, lesions wereobserved in aflatoxicated groups. Liver revealed vacuolar cell degeneration, periportal and perivascular infiltration of mononuclearcells. Kidneys revealed mild to moderate degree of haemorrhages, tubular epithelial necrosis and infiltration of mononuclearcells along with heterophils. In group IV, catarrhal enteritis characterized by desquamation of epithelial cells were found in theduodenum. A milder form of gross and histopathological lesions was seen in group III. In conclusion, the present study revealedthat supplementation of a new combined toxin binder product in the concentration of 5 g/kg could not completely ameliorateaflatoxicity in broilers, although it met the stringent European regulation requirements for the minimum of 90% aflatoxin bindingefficiency in in vitro study.