Milk Thistle ( Silybum marianum ), Marine Algae ( Spirulina platensis ) and Toxin Binder Powders in the Diets of Broiler Chickens Exposed to Aflatoxin-B1: Growth Performance, Humoral Immune Response and Cecal Microbiota

Mostafa Feshanghchi, Payam Baghban-Kanani, Bahman Kashefi-Motlagh, Fariba Adib, Saba Azimi-Youvalari, Babak Hosseintabar-Ghasemabad, Marina Slozhenkina, Ivan Gorlov, Márcio G. Zangeronimo, Ayman A. Swelum, Alireza Seidavi, Rifat U. Khan, Marco Ragni, Vito Laudadio and Vincenzo Tufarelli
Additional contact information
Mostafa Feshanghchi: Athar Daneh Azerbijan Company, Tabriz 51386, Iran
Payam Baghban-Kanani: Noavaran Arka Tejarat Kabodan Company, Urmia 30200, Iran
Bahman Kashefi-Motlagh: Athar Daneh Azerbijan Company, Tabriz 51386, Iran
Fariba Adib: Athar Daneh Azerbijan Company, Tabriz 51386, Iran
Saba Azimi-Youvalari: Noavaran Arka Tejarat Kabodan Company, Urmia 30200, Iran
Babak Hosseintabar-Ghasemabad: Darvash Giah Khazar Medicinal Herbs Complex, Rasht 41335, Iran
Marina Slozhenkina: Volga Region Research Institute of Manufacture and Processing of Meat-and-Milk Production, 400131 Volgograd, Russia
Ivan Gorlov: Volga Region Research Institute of Manufacture and Processing of Meat-and-Milk Production, 400131 Volgograd, Russia
Márcio G. Zangeronimo: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras 3037, Brazil
Ayman A. Swelum: Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Sharkia, Egypt
Alireza Seidavi: Department of Animal Science, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht 41335, Iran
Rifat U. Khan: Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, College of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar 25130, Pakistan
Marco Ragni: Department of Agro-Environmental and Territorial Sciences, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, 70125 Bari, Italy
Vito Laudadio: Department of DETO, Section of Veterinary Science and Animal Production, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, 70010 Bari, Italy
Vincenzo Tufarelli: Department of DETO, Section of Veterinary Science and Animal Production, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, 70010 Bari, Italy

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 6, 1-11

Abstract: This research was performed to investigate the effects of milk thistle (MT), toxin binder (TB) and marine algae ( Spirulina platensis ; SP) on the performance, blood indices, humoral immunity and cecal microbiota of broiler chickens exposed to aflatoxin-B 1 (AFB1). A total of 300 one-day-old male chicks were equally divided into five treatments, with six replicates with 10 birds per treatment. Dietary treatments included: (T 1 ) a control diet (without any feed additive or AFB1); (T 2 ) control diet + 0.6 mg AFB 1 /kg; (T 3 ) T 2 + 10 g/kg MT; (T 4 ) T 2 + 1 g/kg TB; and (T 5 ) T 2 + 10 g/kg SP. BWG and FI were found to be considerably reduced in broilers given AFB1-contaminated diets ( p < 0.05). The FCR was negatively influenced in birds fed AFB1-contaminated diets ( p < 0.05). MT, TB, and SP powders also reduced the deleterious effects of AFB1 on the growth of chickens ( p < 0.05). In comparison with the control birds and the other treatments, broilers given AFB1-contaminated diets had a higher relative weight of abdominal fat ( p < 0.05). The feeding of AFB1 resulted in a substantial rise in AST and ALT activity ( p < 0.05). MT, TB, and SP powders significantly decreased blood AST and ALT activity in broilers ( p < 0.05). The AFB1 and MT groups had the lowest skin thickness ( p < 0.05) twenty-four hours after injection. The phytohemagglutinin injection results showed that the TB and SP were more efficient than the other additives in removing toxins from the feed sources ( p < 0.05). The antibody titer against sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) was lower in the AFB1 group compared to the control group at 28 days of age ( p < 0.05). When comparing AFB1-fed chicks to the control treatment, there was a significant ( p < 0.05) concentration of cecal Coliform bacteria. When MT, TB, and SP powders were added to AFB1-contaminated diet, cecal Coliforms were decreased ( p < 0.05). When fed AFB1-contaminated diets, it can be concluded that MT, TB, and SP are suitable for supporting growth performance, immunological function, and the serum biochemical parameters of broiler chickens.

Keywords: broiler; aflatoxin; growth; immunity; natural additives (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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