EFFECTS OF AFLATOXIN B1 ONLY OR CO-ADMINISTERED WITH MYCOTOX NG ON LIVER FUNCTION IN TURKEY BROILERS

Mycotoxins are mold metabolites of particular significance for human and animal health. Poultry feeds contaminated with aflatoxins incur considerable losses to poultry industry. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the effects of aflatoxin B1 and Mycotox NG applied either independently or together, on blood total protein, albumin, blood glucose, total bilirubin, triglycerides, cholesterol, enzyme activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (? GT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (AP), and changes in liver morphology. At the same time, the potential of supplementation of feed with a mycosorbent (Mycotox NB) was evaluated. Experiments were carried out with 60 7-day-old female turkey broilers (meat TM strain) divided into one control and five treatment groups (n=10). Groups were as followed: Group ? – control (fed standard feed according to the species and age of birds); Group II – experimental, whose feed was supplemented with 0.5 g/kg Mycotox NG, Group ??I– experimental, whose feed contained 0.2 mg/kg ????? aflatoxin ?1, Group IV – experimental, whose feed contained 0.4 mg/kg aflatoxin ?1, Group V – experimental, supplemented with 0.2 mg/kg aflatoxin ?1 and 0.5 g/kg Mycotox NG and Group VI – experimental, supplemented with 0.4 mg/kg aflatoxin ?1 and 0.5 g/kg Mycotox NG. The duration of the experiments was 42 days. The monitored blood chemical parameters were analysed on post treatment days 21 and 42. In birds treated only with AFB1, increased blood activities of studied enzymes and of total bilirubin was established. At the same time, blood total protein, albumin, cholesterol, glucose and triglycerides were reduced as compared to controls. The observed histopathological changes in the liver consisted in various extent of dystrophy depending on the dose of mycotoxin (congestion, vacuolar and granular dystrophy, round cell proliferation, necrobiotic changes, hyperplasia of gallbladder epithelium). The addition of mycosorbent (Mycotox NG) to the feed of Groups V and VI reduced substantially the changes in blood chemistry and the severity and frequency of liver histological lesions.