Could feed additives lessen aflatoxin’s effects in broiler chickens?

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Researchers fed 320 seven-day-old Ross 308 broiler chickens diets containing 0 or 125 ppb aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) from 7 to 28 days of age. To test their effects against aflatoxicosis, they added sodium bentonite (0.5%), yeast (Saccharomyces cervisiae; 0.2%), hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS; 0.5%), ammonia (0.5%), formycine (0.1%), or toxiban (0.1%) to the basal diet, on an as-fed basis. An aflatoxin-free diet and an aflatoxin-containing diet without additives, the negative control, served as comparison groups.

The chickens were divided into 32 groups of 10, with similar mean ± SD weights of 90 ± 0.64 g. Each experimental diet was replicated four times over 21 days. Researchers recorded body weight gain, daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio, daily and weekly feed intake, relative weights of the liver, intestines, heart, proventriculus and gizzard, and total serum protein.

Chickens fed AFB1 alone had significantly greater relative organ weights than chickens fed the other diets (P<0.01). Their body weight gain, daily weight gain and total serum protein concentration were significantly lower than those of chickens fed the other diets (P<0.01). Adding any of the experimental additives to an aflatoxin-containing diet decreased relative organ weights compared with the negative control. Feed conversion ratios were higher in chickens fed aflatoxin-containing diets. Compared with the negative control, chickens receiving the various additives had greater body weight gains and serum total protein concentrations, and improved feed conversion ratios (P<0.01). Overall, the additives improved measures affected by AFB1 in broiler chickens. Formycine was identified as the best additive in this respect.