COMBATING OCHRATOXICOSIS BY SOME KNOWN ANTIOXIDANT FEED ADDITIVES

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Animal Health Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza – Egypt

Abstract

Aspergillus ochraceous was isolated from 8 (16%) of the examined 50 poultry feed samples. Two of them (25%) were high ochratoxin A producers that yielded 45 PPM of the toxin. An experiment with a completely randomized block design was used to evaluate the use of vitamin E (100 or 1000 I.U.), vitamin C (100 or 1000 Mg) alone or in combination (500 I.U. of E + 500 Mg of C)/kg ration, as feed additives to broiler Chickens of one-week old during exposure to ochratoxin A contaminated ration (2.5 mg / kg ration). The Production performance (daily weight Gain), hematology and serum biochemistry were evaluated. Ochratoxin (2.5 mg / kg ration) resulted in a significant reduction of body weight gain, appearance of normocytic hypochromic anemia, decreased serum proteins (total, albumin, globulins And A/G ratio), and serum lipids (total cholesteRol, HDL, LDL, and phospholipids). Addition of Vitamin E (1000 I.U. / kg ration), vitamin C (1000 mg/kg) alone or combination of vitamin E and vitamin C (500 I.U. + 500 mg / kg ration) Corrected the adverse effects of ochratoxicosis on body weight gain and hematological parameters and bring values to about that of the control. Ochratoxin increased serum of AP, ALT, AST Activities, and uric acid, creatinine, triacylglycerol, VLDL and free fatty acids concentrations in the exposed chickens. Addition of vitamin E (1000 I.U.) alone or in combination with vitamin C (500 I.U. + 500 mg) / kg ration improved the Case except for serum AP and ALT. Addition of Vitamin C alone (1000 mg / kg ration) improved The serum uric acid concentration only. From the present investigation it could be concluded that vitamin C has a lesser pronounced antioxidant effects than those obtained with vitamin E. Better results were obtained in groups receiving a combination of vitamin E and C (500 I.U. + 500 mg/kg ration).

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