Effect of graded levels of aflatoxin, ochratoxin and their combinations on the performance and immune response of broilers

Abstract

1. The effects of dietary aflatoxin (AF, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg), ochratoxin (OA, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 mg/kg) or combinations of these on body weight gain, feed efficiency, organ weights and immune response were studied in broilers. 2. Significant growth depression, reduced food consumption and poor food conversion efficiency were recorded in broilers fed a diet containing the greater concentrations of AF (1 and 2 mg/kg) and OA (2 and 4 mg/kg). 3. The combination of 2 mg/kg AF and 4 mg/kg OA exerted the maximum adverse effect on growth, feed intake and feed efficiency, indicating a synergistic effect on performance. 4. AF at 2 mg/kg in the diet caused a significant increase in the relative weight of liver, whereas the relative weight of kidney was significantly increased at 4 mg/kg of OA. A significant decrease in the relative weight of the bursa of Fabricius was noted at the highest concentration of AF (2 mg/kg) and combinations of 1 and 2 mg/kg AF and 2 and 4 mg/kg OA. 5. Cell mediated immunity (CMI), in terms of mean skin thickness (MST) sensitive to dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB), was significantly reduced in chicks given the combination of 2 mg/kg AF and 4 mg/kg OA. Haemagglutination (HA) titre against sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) peaked at 42 d of age. At 42 and 47 d of age, a significant decrease in HA titres was recorded in chicks given 4 mg/kg OA or a combination of AF (1 or 2 mg/kg) and OA (2 or 4 mg/kg). 6. AF at a dietary concentration of 1 mg/kg or more and OA at 2 mg/kg or more, either alone or in combination, caused severe reductions in growth and immune response.

Experimental ochratoxicosis in broiler chickens

“…The OTA responses presented in this study were dose and time dependent. The decrease in broiler body weight due to ochratoxicosis was in agreement with several previous reports using dietary OTA inclusion rates of 567 ppb (Garcia et al ., 2003), 0.5 to 2 parts/10 6 (Prior et al ., 1980;Campbell et al ., 1983;Kubena et al ., 1988;Raju & Devegowda, 2000;Kumar et al ., 2003), 1 to 4 parts/10 6 (Gibson et al ., 1989;Verma et al ., 2004), 5 parts/10 6 (Stoev et al ., 2002) and up to 8 parts/10 6 (Huff et al ., 1974(Huff et al ., , 1980.…”

“…It causes a reduction in growth rate and feed consumption, poorer feed conversion and increased mortality (Peckham et al ., 1971;Huff et al ., 1974;Verma et al ., 2004). Furthermore it produces a reduction in total blood proteins Stoev et al ., 2000), suppression of immune function (Chang et al, 1979;Dwivedi & Burns, 1984a and b;Stoev et al, 2000Stoev et al, , 2002Santin et al, 2002;Politis et al, 2005) and impairment of blood coagulation (Raju & Devegowda, 2000).…”

Efficacy of a Synthetic Antioxidant Treatment in Stabilizing Poultry Byproduct Meal and Subsequent Impact of the Treated Meal on Selected Growth Parameters of Broilers

“…Feed intake was calculated as feed offer minus feed refused (Verma et al, 2004). Birds were individually weighed at the beginning of the experiment, and then weekly until the end of trial to determine average body weight gain.…”

Aflatoxicosis in Layer and Breeder Hens

“…Ogido et al (2004) reported an increase in feed consumption and decrease in egg weight in Japanese quails fed with combination of 50ppb of aflatoxin B 1 and 10ppm of fumonisin B 1 for 140d. Verma et al (2004) reported decrease in hen day egg production, egg weight, feed consumption, shape index, albumen index and Haugh unit due to feeding 1ppm of aflatoxinB 1 for 42 d to White Leghorn hens aged 42 weeks. Svetlana Grigorova (2005) reported that when adding 2 per cent and 10 per cent of dry biomass from fresh water algae of Chlorella genus in the combined forages for laying hens, the yolk pigmentation became significantly more intensive by 2.5 units by the Roche's scale.…”