Abstract

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate (HSCAS) and a phytobiotic (turmeric powder) to counteract the toxic effects of aflatoxin B1 in broiler chickens. Five hundred, day-old broiler chicks were divided equally into five groups. Birds of group (1) were fed on plain ration containing neither aflatoxin B1 nor treatment, while birds in groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 were fed on ration contaminated with aflatoxin B1 at concentration of 2.5 ppm of ration from day old till the end of the experiment. Chickens in group (2) were given ration contaminated with aflatoxin B1 only. Group (3) was treated with HSCAS at a concentration of 0.5%, while group (4) was fed on ration containing turmeric powder in a dose of 80 mg/kg of the ration. Chickens in group (5) were given concomitant HSCAS and turmeric powder at the recommended doses. All groups were kept under observation till 5 weeks of age. The results cleared that treatment of aflatoxicated birds either with HSCAS or turmeric powder even their combination induced protection from the development of signs and lesions with significant (p<0.05) improvement of performance when compared with un-treated control group. Both HSCAS and turmeric powder treatment induced significant (p<0.05) amelioration of the measured organs body weights ratio, humoral immune response to Newcastle Disease (ND) and biochemical parameters in aflatoxicated chickens. In conclusion, addition of HSCAS and or turmeric powder can be considered an integrated approach for the control of aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens.

Keywords:

Aflatoxicosis, hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate, poultry, turmeric powder,

References

Competing interests

The authors have no competing interests.

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