The ameliorative effect of mycosorb in aflatoxin contaminated diet of broiler chickens

This experiment was conducted to study the effect of Aflatoxins (AF) on broiler performance, organ weight, plasma characteristics, protein digestibility, and metabolizable energy of the diets. Dietary treatments were: 1) control diet based on corn and soybean meal; 2, 3 and 4) control diet plus 1 mg kg-1 AF, 1 mg kg-1 AF and 0.25% mycosorb, and 0.25% Mycosorb, respectively. The results in the Aflatoxins and Aflatoxins+ mycosorb treatments showed that dietary AF, significantly decreased the feed intake and weight gain as compared to the control diet (P<0.001). Treatment 2 resulted in inferior feed conversation ratio in comparison to the control diet (p<0.05). Uric acid and total protein in the second and third, and phosphorous only in the third treatment were significantly lower than the control (P<0.05). The in-vivo protein and dry matter digestibility, apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and nitrogen corrected-apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) were not affected by the treatment (P>0.05). Aflatoxin resulted in the proventriculus enlargement, increased liver weight and AF deposition in the liver and breast muscle (P<0.05). This study clearly demonstrated that Mycosorb was effective in alleviating the adverse effects of dietary aflatoxins in broiler chickens.