title: Dietary vitamin E in White Leghorn layer breeder hens: a strategy to combat aflatoxin B1-induced damage.
abstract: Mycotoxins are unavoidable contaminants of animal and human feed and food respectively. This study was designed to investigate the protective activity of vitamin E (Vit E) in White Leghorn breeder hens and their progeny against aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-induced damage. The results indicated a significant decrease in egg production and quality in the groups exposed to dietary AFB1. A detectable amount of AFB1 residue appeared in the eggs during the first week of mycotoxin exposure at levels ≥ 2.5 mg kg(-1), which reached its peak (0.403 ± 0.04 ng/g [mean ± standard deviation]) during the second week of the experiment (in the group fed 10 mg kg(-1)). Feeding Vit E + AFB1 resulted in higher AFB1 residues (0.467 ± 0.03) when compared with the hens fed AFB1 alone. The resistance of red blood cells to oxidative damage was decreased, while embryonic mortalities and deformities were increased in the AFB1-fed groups. The protective effect of Vit E on these parameters was noted in the groups fed lower doses of AFB1. After the withdrawal of mycotoxin-contaminated feed, most of the parameters returned towards normal within 2 weeks, except AFB1 residues that were still detectable. From the findings of this study one can conclude that the addition of Vit E in the diet of hens provided only partial protection against AFB1-induced damage.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pathology , University of Agriculture Faisalabad , Faisalabad , Pakistan.
authors.forename: Wajid Arshad
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Muhammad Zargham
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Ahrar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Zahoor Ul
authors.initials: ZU
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: Shahid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rafique
authors.forename: Muhammad Kashif
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Saleemi
authors.forename: Abdul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahad
mesh_terms: D016604:Aflatoxin B1 / Q000633:toxicity*; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004912:Erythrocytes; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D010063:Ovum / Q000737:chemistry; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E; D016604:Aflatoxin B1