The Efficiency of Probiotic and Toxin Binders (Organic and Inorganic) in Amelioration of Aflatoxin Impact on Performance, Serum Biochemistry, and Tibia Characteristics in Broiler Chickens

BACKGROUND: Aflatoxins are mainly developed during the storage of feedstuffs, and their destruction is difficult after the occurrence. The most practical strategy to combat aflatoxins is the use of mycotoxin binders. OBJECTIVES: Comparison of the efficiency of traditional and lab-synthesized polymeric mycotoxin binder with gastrointestinal microflora modulating feed additives in amelioration of aflatoxin effects in broiler chicken. METHODS: A total of 240 1-day old broilers (Ross 308, straight forward) were examined in a completely randomized design with five treatments and four replicates of 12 birds for 24 days of study duration. Treatments were: 1. The negative control, feed without aflatoxin or any feed additive, 2. The positive control, aflatoxins contaminated feed (500 µg/kg), 3. Aflatoxins + probiotic (Hypro Tect), 4. Aflatoxins + molecular imprinted polymer (MIP), and 5. Aflatoxins + commercial toxin-binder (Zarin-binder). The growth performance of birds was measured during the experiment. At the end of the experiment, some biochemical and immunological analyses were performed on blood samples. Some bone characteristics were studied on tibia samples. RESULTS: Supplementation of probiotics and toxin-binder in aflatoxin-contaminated feed improved the aflatoxin-induced reduction of feed intake and body weight gain in the first 10 days of the experiment (p < /em><0.05), compared to positive control group. Aflatoxin alone (the positive control) or with the feed additives did not affect feed conversion ratio. Aflatoxin reduced the levels of serum total protein, albumin, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc (p < /em><0.05). Use of probiotic, MIP and commercial toxin-binder, in aflatoxin-contaminated feeds, has alleviated the adverse effects of aflatoxin on serum albumin (p < /em><0.05). The tibia weight increased in probiotic and MIP fed broilers compared to the birds fed aflatoxin-contaminated feed without additives-the positive control (p < /em><0.05). The highest tibia breaking strength was observed in probiotic fed birds, which was different from that of the positive control group. The tibia length was decreased by the aflatoxin compared to the negative control birds (p < /em><0.05). Anti-SRBC titers were decreased in aflatoxin contaminated group without feed additive supplementation-positive control (p < /em><0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The tested feed additives in present study exerted just partial protection against some aflatoxicosis effects. The extent of effectiveness of studied feed additives in amelioration of aflatoxicosis affects on performance, immunological, skeletal and serum biochemical parameters could be ranked as probiotics, MIP and toxin binder, respectively.