Effects of milk thistle seeds, whole plant and extract on performance, carcass characteristics and some blood parameters of broiler chickens fed aflatoxin B1 contaminated diet

The effects of seeds and whole plant powder and extract of Milk thistle (MT) plant in reducing the negative effects of feeding 500 ppb aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on broiler chickens performance, carcass characteristics and some blood parameters were examined using 192 one-day old chick (Ross 308) in a completely randomized design with six treatments, four replicates and 8 birds per repetition. The experimental treatments included: 1) control, 2) contaminated control (CC), 3) CC 0.5 percent of MT seed powder, 4) CC 1 percent MT plant powder, 5) CC 600mg/kg MT plant extract, 6) CC 1000mg/kg MT plant extract. Results indicated that feeding contaminated diet reduced body weight gain and increased the feed conversion ratio and alanine aminotransferase enzyme compared with control in whole experimental period (P≤0.05). The inclusion of 1 percent MT plant powder to the contaminated diets improved weight gain and feed conversion ratio in 1-7, 7-21 days and whole experimental period (1-35 days) compared to the contaminated control (P≤0.05). The addition of 0.5 percent MT seed powder, 1 percent MT plant powder and 1000mg/kg MT plant extract to the contaminated diets decreased alanine aminotransferase enzyme (at 35d) compared to the contaminated control (P≤0.05). It was concluded that compared to other treatments, one percent MT plant powder was more effective in reducing the negative effects of feeding AFB1 in broiler chickens.