The effect of a multi-component toxin binder in aflatoxin B1-contaminated diets on growth performance, blood parameters, and liver histology of broilers

Aflatoxins are produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus mold, and aflatoxin B1 is the most dangerous form of this toxin. In addition, aflatoxin B1 in poultry causes low productivity and high sensitivity to diseases and the use of inorganic and organic toxin binders is one of the nutritional strategies to confront aflatoxins. In this research, the effects of adding multi-component toxin binder to diets containing aflatoxin B1 on growth performance, blood parameters, and liver histology by using 180 male broilers day-olds (Ross 308) in a factorial experiment (3×3), with three levels of toxin binder (0.0, 0.5, and 1.0 kg/ton) and three levels of aflatoxin B1 (0.0, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/kg) were studied based on a completely randomized design in nine treatments, four replications, and five chickens in each replicate. The results showed that using the 1.0 kg/ton of toxin binder, significantly reduced negative effects of 0.5 mg/kg of aflatoxin B1 on the average daily weight gain, live weight and average daily feed intake in the total period (P<0.05). But the birds consuming the treatment containing 0.5 mg/kg of aflatoxin B1 and 1.0 kg/ton of toxin binder did not show a significant difference, in the average feed conversion ratio compared to all treatments except the treatment that containing 0.0 mg/kg of aflatoxin B1 and 0.5 kg/ton of toxin binder. The regression equation (Y= 7.5298x+ 53.377) with (R2= 0.78), was obtained to predict the average daily weight gain of birds fed with treatments containing 0.5 mg/kg of aflatoxin B1 and different levels of toxin binder. Feeding chickens with diets containing aflatoxin B1, significantly decreased the serum concentration of cholesterol, albumin, and total protein and increased serum concentration of creatinine and urea (P<0.05). In addition, there were not significant effects for the main and interaction of aflatoxin B1 and toxin binder for the blood serum alkaline phosphatase. For liver histological results, portal inflammation was evident in all treatments, but the amount of fibrosis and necrosis was higher in treatments with 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg of aflatoxin B1 than 0.0 level of its, and in the liver of birds fed with the highest level of aflatoxin B1 (1.0 mg/kg), micro and macro lipid vesicles were observed, which indicates a fatty liver. Also, some hepatocytes lost their cytoplasm due to the storage of a type of glycogen and in some parts, a proliferation of fibroblasts with fine collagen fibers deposition, was observed. The toxin binder did not prevent of the negative effects of aflatoxin B1 on the destruction of liver tissue. Based on the results, adding 1.0 kg/ton level of multi-component toxin binder to diets containing 0.5 mg/kg aflatoxin B1 can improve the average daily weight gain, live weight, and average daily feed intake of broilers.