Investigating the Protective Efficacy of Rosemary and Thyme against Dietary Aflatoxin B1 Toxicity in Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) Fingerlings

Nowadays, mitigating the effects of mycotoxins is an important issue in aquafeed industry. In the present study, 135 common carp fingerlings with an average body weight of 15±1.5 g were reared for 12 weeks in three distinctive treatments (control group, 400 ppb aflatoxin B1 and 400 ppb aflatoxin B1 400 ppb along with rosemary and thyme powder). At the end of the trial, hepatopancreas, intestine and blood samples were taken for determination of alkaline protease, lipase and amylase activities and some blood indices. Results revealed that diets contaminated with aflatoxin B1 and the diet supplemented with rosemary and thyme for 12 weeks did significantly affect alkaline protease activity of hepatopancreas and intestine activity, RBC count, hemoglobin, neutrophil and lymphocyte (P≥0.05), however, did not significantly affect intestinal lipase and hepatopancreatic amylase activity along with other hematological indices (P<0.05). The highest intestinal alkaline protease and amylase activity were observed in fish fed diet containing 400 ppb aflatoxin. In addition, the lowest hepatopancreatic and intestinal alkaline protease, lipase and amylase activities belonged to those fish received aflatoxin contaminated diet supplemented with rosemary and thyme (P<0.05). It could be concluded that including rosemary and thyme in diet contaminated with aflatoxin B1 could mitigate the deteriorative effect of the mycotoxin on intestinal alkaline protease and amylase activities along with RBC count, hemoglobin content, neutrophil and lymphocytes of common carp fingerlings.