title: Evaluation of pathological changes in broilers during chronic aflatoxin (50 and 100 ppb) and clinoptilolite exposure.
abstract: This study was conducted to evaluate the pathological changes in broilers fed a diet containing low-levels of aflatoxin (AF) and clinoptilolite (CLI) until 42 days of age. A total of 576 one-day-old Ross-308 type broiler chicks were treated with varying levels of AF and CLI (15 g kg(-1)). The gross and histopathological changes in the liver, kidneys, spleen, thymus and bursa of Fabricius were investigated and relative organ weights were calculated. Compared to controls, significant changes (P<0.05), such as slight to moderate hydropic degeneration and/or fatty change (8 cases of 10), bile-duct hyperplasia (7 of 10) and periportal fibrosis (5 of 10), were found in chicks fed 100 ppb AF-containing diet. No gross-pathological changes were observed in any treatments. The addition of CLI to the 100 ppb AF-containing diet significantly decreased the number of affected broilers and/or the severity of lesions (hydropic degeneration and bile-duct hyperplasia) in the livers (P<0.05). The addition of CLI to the AF-free diet did not produce any significant lesions compared with the controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Selçuk, Kampüs, 42031 Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ortatatli
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oğuz
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hatipoğlu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karaman
mesh_terms: D000348:Aflatoxins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D002060:Bursa of Fabricius / Q000473:pathology; D002645:Chickens; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D015651:Mycotoxicosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000473:pathology; D017641:Zeolites / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000348:Aflatoxins; C083175:clinoptilolite; D017641:Zeolites