Aim: To evaluate the effect
of different levels of High Bentonite on growth performance, organ weight and
serum biochemistry in broiler fed on diets containing aflatoxin.
Materials
and Methods: A total of 360 day-old commercial broiler chicks were divided
at random into 8 dietary treatment groups of 42 chicks each having 3 replicates.
Dietary levels of aflatoxin (0.5 ppm) and High-grade bentonite (0.5, 0.75 and
1.00%) were tested in a completely randomized design manner, forming a total of
8 dietary treatments each with three replicates. Body weight and feed intake
were recorded weekly. At 5 wk, six birds from each treatment were sacrificed and
liver, kidney, gizzard, pancreas, spleen, bursa of Fabricius and thymus were
extracted and weighed. The serum samples were analyzed for total proteins, uric
acid, serum albumin, serum globulin and the activities of gamma glutamyl
transferase (GGT), alanine amino transferase (ALT) and for antibody titers
against Newcastle disease (ND) and infectious bursal disease (IBD) using ELISA
technique.
Results: A significant (P<0.05) decrease in body weight, feed
consumption, relative weights of bursa, thymus, serum protein, anti body titers
against NDV and IBDV, and increase in FCR, mortality, relative weight of liver,
kidney, and the activity of Gamma Glutamyl Transferase (GGT) was observed.
However, the relative weights of gizzard, pancreas, spleen, serum albumin, uric
acid and the activity of Alanine Amino Transferase (ALT) were not influenced by
inclusion of AF or HGB.
Conclusion: The addition of HGB restored the
harmful effects of AF on body weight, feed consumption, FCR, mortality, relative
weight of liver, kidney, serum protein, IBDV and NDV. Supplementation of high
grade bentonite at 1.0 per cent level was found to be beneficial in ameliorating
the adverse effects of aflatoxin (AF) in broiler chickens.
Keywords:
aflatoxin, body weight, feed consumption, high grade bentonite, in-vivo
