Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
- Maryam Karimi- Zandi 1
- Hassan Shirzadi 2
- Ghasemi, Hossein Ali 3
- Mohammad Amir Karimi-Torshizi 4
- Kamran Taherpour 5
- Enayat Rahmatnejad 6
1 PhD Candidate for Poultry Nutrition, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture. Ilam University, Ilam, Iran.
2 Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran
3 Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Arak University, Arak, Iran.
4 Department of Poultry Breeding and Management. Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tarbiat Modares, Tehran, Iran.
5 Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture. Ilam University, Ilam, Iran.
6 Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, Iran.
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a toxin binder and organic acids on growth performance, serum lipid profile, health indices, carcass traits, and meat quality of broiler chickens challenged with aflatoxin B1 and Clostridium perfringens.
Methods: A total of 420 one-day-old as hatched Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 7 treatment groups, each with 6 replicates of 10 birds. The treatments were as follows: Control – basal diet without additives or challenges; A – basal diet, challenged with aflatoxin; AM – basal diet with toxin binder, challenged with aflatoxin; AMO – basal diet with toxin binder and organic acids, challenged with aflatoxin; ACP – basal diet, challenged with aflatoxin and C. perfringens; ACPM – basal diet with toxin binder, challenged with aflatoxin and C. perfringens; and ACPMO – basal diet with toxin binder and organic acids, challenged with aflatoxin and C. perfringens. Aflatoxin B1 (500 ppb) was administered throughout the trial. C. perfringens (1×108 cfu/mL) was introduced from day 15 for ten consecutive days. Both the toxin binder and organic acids were added at 0.2% of the basal diet.
Results: Aflatoxin challenge significantly reduced specific growth rate and energy efficiency ratio (P<0.05). Supplementation with a toxin binder, either alone or combined with organic acids, alleviated these negative effects. The simultaneous challenge with aflatoxin and C. perfringens further decreased energy and protein efficiency ratios as well as specific growth rate (P<0.05). The toxin binder alone improved specific growth rate, while its combination with organic acids enhanced both energy and protein efficiency ratios. The combined challenge increased serum Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level (P<0.05). The inclusion of toxin binder lowered these values, and its effect was more pronounced when used with organic acids. Diets containing toxin binder also decreased the LDL to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio, atherogenic coefficient, and cardiac risk ratio in aflatoxin- and C. perfringens -challenged birds (P<0.05). Supplementation with both toxin binders and organic acids elicited superior improvements in these physiological indices relative to the toxin binder alone. Aflatoxin and dual challenges increased cooking loss in the pectoralis major muscle and reduced press loss and dry matter content in both pectoralis major and thigh muscles (P<0.05). Aflatoxin exposure alone increased the relative weight of the heart (P<0.05). The combined challenge reduced breast weight and increased heart and liver weights (P<0.05). The combined use of toxin binders and organic acids elicited the most pronounced improvements in these traits relative to the toxin binder alone.
Conclusion: Supplementing broiler diets with a toxin binder is a beneficial strategy when feed contamination with aflatoxin occurs. In cases of concurrent C. perfringens infection, the combined use of toxin binder and organic acids provides superior protection and performance benefits.
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