Effects of various Toxeat$^{®}$ concentrations on growth performance, immune response, cecal microflora, and gut morphology in broilers fed with aflatoxin contaminated diets

Authors: SOHEILA SARRAMI, PARVANEH JAFARI, MARYAM TAJABADI EBRAHIMI, SEYED NASER MOUSAVI, SEYED ABDOLLAH HOSSEINI

Abstract: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Toxeat$^{®}$, a mycotoxin binder, on functional indices, immune response, intestinal microflora, and gut morphology in broiler chickens fed aflatoxin-contaminated diets. Three hundred Cobb 500 broilers were randomly divided into 6 treatments with 5 replicates, each with 10 birds. The treatments included T1: negative control (NC), T$_{2:}$ T1 + 1 g/ton aflatoxin (positive control: PC), T$_{3:}$ PC + 1 kg/ton Toxeat$^{®}$, T$_{4:}$ PC + 2 kg/ton Toxeat$^{®}$, T$_{5:}$ PC + 3 kg/ton Toxeat$^{®}$, T$_{6:}$ PC + 1 kg/ton Toxeat$^{®}$ without hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate. Growth performance, immune system response, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) count decreased in the PC group (P < 0.05). Surprisingly, humoral and cellular immune response significantly increased in the Toxeat$^{®}$ treatments (P < 0.05). Besides, administration of Toxeat$^{®}$ significantly increased weight gain and LAB count compared with the PC group at the end of experiment (P < 0.05), whereas intestinal morphology showed no significant changes (P > 0.05). Finally, Toxeat$^{®}$ administration (1-2 kg/ton) resulted in the best growth performance and immunity.

Keywords: Aflatoxin, Toxeat$^{®}$, broiler, immune system response, bactic acid bacteria

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