Aflatoxicosis and ochratoxicosis in broiler chicks and their amelioration with locally available bentonite clay

The present study was designed to investigate the ameliorative ability of locally available bentonite clay (bn) against aflatoxin b1 (afb1) and ochratoxin a (ota) toxicity in broiler chicks. in the first experiment the broiler chicks were kept on feeds contaminated with afb1 (0.1,0.2 and 0.6 mg/kg) alone and in combination with bentonite clay (3.7 and 7.5 g/kg). in the second experiment ota (0.15,0.3 and 1.0 mg/kg) alone and concurrently with bentonite clay (3.7,7.5 and 15 g/kg) was fed to the broiler chicks. the dietary addition of afb1 and ota alone exerted deleterious effects on the performance,sero-biochemical and oxidative status of the broiler chicks. a concurrent dietary incorporation of bn (3.7 and 7.5 g/kg) ameliorated the adverse effects of 0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg afb1 on body weight,fcr,serum alt and urea concentration. serum creatinine,total protein and albumin concentrations were mostly significantly lower in combination groups suggesting a partial or no amelioration. dietary incorporation of bn at all levels only partially alleviated the deleterious effects of 0.15 and 0.3 mg/kg dietary ota on performance,serobiochemical and oxidative stress,but amelioration was absent when the concentration of ota in the feed was 1 mg/kg. results suggested that the dietary incorporation of bn (3.7 and 7.5 g/kg) ameliorated the adverse effects of 0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg of afb1 on various parameters. however,bn at all levels did not alleviate the deleterious effects of ota. © 2016 pvj.