Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Sciences

Abstract

One hundred and sixty male broiler chicks were fed at one day of age aflatoxin (AF) at a rate of 3.5 mg/kg alone, or with groups injected with Eimeria tenella sporulated oocysts (40000) at 14 days of age. Adsorbent (Mycofix® plus 3.0) was incorporated at a rate of 0.25% in the above mentioned groups from one day of age till the end of the experiment. The study was conducted to reveal the effect of a aforementioned different diets and treatments on live body weight, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio, blood parameters (total red blood cells, hemoglobin, packed cell volume), biochemical profile of serum (alkaline phosphatase and β-carotin), liver weights, bursal and thymus indexes, caecal lesion scores and mortalities. The results indicated that AF was responsible for a significant (P<0.05) reduction. in body weigh gain (BWG), feed consumption, and an increase in feed conversion ratio. Afllatoxin was also responsible for reduction in blood parameters, β-Carotin, bursal and thymus indexes. While relative liver weight and alkaline phosphatase level were significantly (P<0.05) increased. Groups that fed AF at a rate of 3.5 mg/kg feed and exposed to sporulated oocysts of Eimeria tenella show a high significant (P<0.05) reduction in BWG, feed consumption and an increase in feed conversion ratio. Aflatoxin was also responsible for significant blood parameter, β-carotin, and also a significant (P<0.05) increase in caecal lesion scores, mortality, alkaline phosphatase level and relative liver weight, while they showed significant (P<0.05) decrease in bursal and thymus indexes in comparison with injected groups with E-tenella sporulated oocysts alone. The study approved that the groups maintained on mycofix plus 3.0 (0.25%) and contaminated with aflatoxin 3.5 mg/kg, revealed a positive noticeable effects in amelioration on BWG, feed consumption and feed conversion, blood parameter, β-carotin, alkaline phosphatase level, relative liver weight, bursal and thymus indexes in comparison with group fed aflatoxin alone. On the other hand, the groups fed on aflatoxin with mycofix plus 3.0 (1%) and injected with Eimeria tenella sporulated oocystes, showed some improvement in BWG, feed consumption, feed conversion, blood parameter, β-carotin, ALKP, bursal and thymus indexes, when compared with those fed AF and injected with doses of sporulated oocysts. It was concluded that the addition of mycofix plus 3.0 to broiler feeds had an alleviating effects in reducing the severity of coccidiosis during aflatoxicosis.