The effect of detoxification of aflatoxin-contaminated corn grain using thyme aqueous extract on performance and total blood protein of Japanese quail

In nature, there are herbal extracts, while capable of reducing aflatoxin B1 in agricultural product by different mechanisms, may also act as growth promoters. In this study, aqueous extract of T. daenensis was evaluated to detoxify contaminated feed with aflatoxin B1 and to determine the effect of growth promoters in Japanese quail. To this purpose, at 24 d of age, quails were separated by sex and 80 male quails were randomly divided into experimental units with equal weight and number. The dietary treatments were as follows: 1. basal diet (B), 2. B + AFB1 (500 mg/kg of feed), 3. B + aqueous extract of T. daenensis (2000 mg/kg of feed), 4. B + AFB1 (500 mg/kg of feed) + aqueous extract of T. daenensis (2000 mg/kg of feed). Feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio and serum total protein were determined at day 45. The results showed that aflatoxin significantly decreased feed intake, body weight gain and total blood protein but increased FCR (p<0.05). The extract significantly increased feed intake and body weight gain, but decreased FCR (p<0.05). The extract did not have any effect on total blood protein. There was an interaction effect between aflatoxin and extract (p<0.05), so that feed intake, body weight gain, FCR and total blood protein were improved in birds offered diet with aflatoxin and extract. According to the study, the extract has improved the performance in birds and the negative effect of aflatoxin on performance was significantly decreased in birds offered diet with the extract.