title: Effects of aflatoxin B1 and fumonisin B1 on body weight, antibody titres and histology of broiler chicks.
abstract: 1. Our objective was to evaluate the toxic effects of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and fumonisin B1 (FB1), administered singly or in combination to broilers. 2. Feeds were prepared with concentrations equal to 0, 50 and 200 microg AFB1/kg, and/or 0, 50 and 200 mg FB1/kg, and offered to broiler chicks from 8 to 41 d of age. The experimental design was totally randomised, in a 3 x 3 factorial arrangement with 9 treatments and 12 birds per treatment. Animals were vaccinated against Newcastle disease on d 14 of life and killed at 41 d. 3. Compared with controls, all mycotoxin-treated groups at 41 d had lower body weight and weight gain, and higher relative heart weight. The relative weight of the liver increased only in birds fed diets containing 200 mg FB1, singly or in combination with AFB1. 4. At 35 d, all groups receiving mycotoxin-treated rations had reduced geometrical mean antibody titres, with birds from groups fed combinations of AFB1 and FB1/kg having even lower values, when compared to the other groups. 5. Histological changes were observed only in liver from birds fed mycotoxin-contaminated rations, and in kidneys of birds fed the diet containing 200 microg AFB1 and 200 mg FB1/kg. Main alterations included vacuolar degeneration and cell proliferation of bile ducts in the liver, and hydropic degeneration in renal tubules in the kidneys. 6. We concluded that AFB1 and FB1 in combination have primarily additive effects on body weight, liver structure and immunological response of broilers at the concentrations used.
authors.affiliation: Centro Avançado de Pesquisa Tecnológica do Agronegócio Avícola, Instituto Biológico, Descalvado, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: E N C
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Tessari
authors.forename: C A F
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: A L S P
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Ledoux
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Rottinghaus
mesh_terms: D016604:Aflatoxin B1 / Q000633:toxicity*; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D002645:Chickens; D037341:Fumonisins / Q000633:toxicity*; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D015651:Mycotoxicosis / Q000276:immunology*; D009521:Newcastle Disease / Q000517:prevention & control; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D037341:Fumonisins; D014765:Viral Vaccines; C056933:fumonisin B1; D016604:Aflatoxin B1