Abstract: (145 Views)
Introduction and Objective: Mycotoxins are secondary and toxic metabolites produced by filamentous fungi, and by contaminating human and animal feed, it will have harmful effects on the health of animals, birds and humans
Mycotoxins are present in many livestock and poultry feeds such as grains, and the contamination of them is inevitable, especially in humid conditions. Consumption of mycotoxin-contaminated feed leads to reducing nutrients absorption, performance, weakening of the immune system, liver failure, increasing susceptibility to diseases and economic losses in the poultry industry. Controlling mycotoxins pollution requires economical detoxification methods. At now, the most common and widely used method in the poultry industry to control and treat mycotoxicosis is to add mycotoxin’s absorbents (toxin binders) to the feed, which simply remove mycotoxins from the body and digestive system, and finally they are excreted with feces. Therefore, this study aims to investigate and compare the effectiveness of two different products, one with a new formulation and the other one is a commercial toxin binder available in the market to reducing the effects of mycotoxins on performance, biochemical parameters of blood serum, internal organs, ileum microbiome population, intestinal morphology and liver histopathology were performed in broiler chickens.
Material and Methods: The experiment was done in 42 days during three rearing periods of 1-10, 11-23 and 24-42 days of age. To carry out the experiment, a total of 360 one-day-old male broilers of Ross 308 strain were distributed in a completely randomized design between four treatments and six replications (15 chickens per replication). The experimental diets were formulated based on the Ross Broiler Nutrient Requirements Guide (2019), which included: 1) control diet (CON), 2) mycotoxin-contaminated diet (MYC), 3) mycotoxin-contaminated diet + 0.2% new toxin binder (MYC+NToxiB) and 4) mycotoxin-contaminated diet + 0.2% was commercial binder toxin (MYC+CToxiB). To prepare the contaminated corn, water was added to the ground corn in such a way that its moisture content reached 20% and it was kept at a temperature of 25-28°C and a humidity of 65-80% until the mold growth was clearly observed. Finally, the corn infected with mycotoxins was dried in air. In the following, to prepare contaminated diets with mycotoxins, the half of diets corn was replaced with contaminated corn. Feed and water were fed freely and feed was fed in the form of flour.
Results: The results of the experiment showed that adding mycotoxin-contaminated corn to the feed of broiler chickens significantly reduced the average body weight at 24 and 42 days of age, reduced the body weight gain at the ages of 24-42 and 1-42 days. Also the contaminated diet with no toxin binder reduced average feed intake at the age of 24-42 days old and a significant increase in feed conversion coefficient was observed at the ages of 1 to 10, 24 to 42 and 1 to 42 days old (P≤0.05). Addition of contaminated corn to the feed caused a significant increase in serum ALT and ALP compared to the control and other experimental treatments (P≤0.05) but the effect of experimental groups on total protein, albumin, cholesterol, triglyceride and glucose concentration of serum was not significant.
The relative weight of the internal organs were not affected by different treatments except for the weight of liver, heart and bursa of Fabricius, which increased in the chicks were fed by contaminated feed. But the weight of these organs were not differ in the groups that received toxin binder compare to control. Lesions and decomposition of liver tissue were observed in liver sections of chickens fed with mycotoxin-contaminated feed. Feeding contaminated diet to broiler chicks caused a significant increase in the coliform bacteria count compared to the control and other experimental treatments (P≤0.05) but the lactic acid bacteria was not affected. Addition of contaminated corn to the feed of broilers caused a significant decrease in health status of intestinal villus (P≤0.05). So that mycotoxin-contaminated feed decreased the villus height of duodenum and jejunum, decreased the villus surface area of jejunum and ileum, and increased the crypt depth in the duodenum and ileum (P≤0.05). Adding both types of toxin binders to mycotoxin-contaminated diets moderates the effects of contaminated feed and improves body weight, weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, improves liver health, intestinal morphology and reduces the coliform population of ileum in such a way that the mean of traits did not have a significant difference with the control. Although the new formulation of toxin binder performed better.
Conclusion: While consumption of mycotoxin-contaminated diet by broilers decreased growth performance and their health, the addition of both types of toxin binders to the contaminated diet were reduced the adverse effects of mycotoxins and improved performance, liver health and intestine morphology. Also this modification were adjusted the ileum microbial population of broiler chickens. Although new toxin binder had better effects in some traits such as improving feed intake, feed conversion ratio and liver enzyme activity.
Mycotoxins are present in many livestock and poultry feeds such as grains, and the contamination of them is inevitable, especially in humid conditions. Consumption of mycotoxin-contaminated feed leads to reducing nutrients absorption, performance, weakening of the immune system, liver failure, increasing susceptibility to diseases and economic losses in the poultry industry. Controlling mycotoxins pollution requires economical detoxification methods. At now, the most common and widely used method in the poultry industry to control and treat mycotoxicosis is to add mycotoxin’s absorbents (toxin binders) to the feed, which simply remove mycotoxins from the body and digestive system, and finally they are excreted with feces. Therefore, this study aims to investigate and compare the effectiveness of two different products, one with a new formulation and the other one is a commercial toxin binder available in the market to reducing the effects of mycotoxins on performance, biochemical parameters of blood serum, internal organs, ileum microbiome population, intestinal morphology and liver histopathology were performed in broiler chickens.
Material and Methods: The experiment was done in 42 days during three rearing periods of 1-10, 11-23 and 24-42 days of age. To carry out the experiment, a total of 360 one-day-old male broilers of Ross 308 strain were distributed in a completely randomized design between four treatments and six replications (15 chickens per replication). The experimental diets were formulated based on the Ross Broiler Nutrient Requirements Guide (2019), which included: 1) control diet (CON), 2) mycotoxin-contaminated diet (MYC), 3) mycotoxin-contaminated diet + 0.2% new toxin binder (MYC+NToxiB) and 4) mycotoxin-contaminated diet + 0.2% was commercial binder toxin (MYC+CToxiB). To prepare the contaminated corn, water was added to the ground corn in such a way that its moisture content reached 20% and it was kept at a temperature of 25-28°C and a humidity of 65-80% until the mold growth was clearly observed. Finally, the corn infected with mycotoxins was dried in air. In the following, to prepare contaminated diets with mycotoxins, the half of diets corn was replaced with contaminated corn. Feed and water were fed freely and feed was fed in the form of flour.
Results: The results of the experiment showed that adding mycotoxin-contaminated corn to the feed of broiler chickens significantly reduced the average body weight at 24 and 42 days of age, reduced the body weight gain at the ages of 24-42 and 1-42 days. Also the contaminated diet with no toxin binder reduced average feed intake at the age of 24-42 days old and a significant increase in feed conversion coefficient was observed at the ages of 1 to 10, 24 to 42 and 1 to 42 days old (P≤0.05). Addition of contaminated corn to the feed caused a significant increase in serum ALT and ALP compared to the control and other experimental treatments (P≤0.05) but the effect of experimental groups on total protein, albumin, cholesterol, triglyceride and glucose concentration of serum was not significant.
The relative weight of the internal organs were not affected by different treatments except for the weight of liver, heart and bursa of Fabricius, which increased in the chicks were fed by contaminated feed. But the weight of these organs were not differ in the groups that received toxin binder compare to control. Lesions and decomposition of liver tissue were observed in liver sections of chickens fed with mycotoxin-contaminated feed. Feeding contaminated diet to broiler chicks caused a significant increase in the coliform bacteria count compared to the control and other experimental treatments (P≤0.05) but the lactic acid bacteria was not affected. Addition of contaminated corn to the feed of broilers caused a significant decrease in health status of intestinal villus (P≤0.05). So that mycotoxin-contaminated feed decreased the villus height of duodenum and jejunum, decreased the villus surface area of jejunum and ileum, and increased the crypt depth in the duodenum and ileum (P≤0.05). Adding both types of toxin binders to mycotoxin-contaminated diets moderates the effects of contaminated feed and improves body weight, weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, improves liver health, intestinal morphology and reduces the coliform population of ileum in such a way that the mean of traits did not have a significant difference with the control. Although the new formulation of toxin binder performed better.
Conclusion: While consumption of mycotoxin-contaminated diet by broilers decreased growth performance and their health, the addition of both types of toxin binders to the contaminated diet were reduced the adverse effects of mycotoxins and improved performance, liver health and intestine morphology. Also this modification were adjusted the ileum microbial population of broiler chickens. Although new toxin binder had better effects in some traits such as improving feed intake, feed conversion ratio and liver enzyme activity.
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