Seric mineral concentrations and hepatic and renal functions of chickens intoxicated by aflatoxin and treated with sodic montmorillonite

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the seric mineral concentrations and the hepatic and renal functions of broiler chicken, experimentally intoxicated with 3 ppm of aflatoxin, and submitted to different concentrations of sodic montmorillonite in the diet. In this study 720 Cobb's male broiler chickens were used, which were divided in six treatments: T1, normal diet; T2, diet with aflatoxin (3 ppm); T3, diet with sodic montmorillonite (0.25%); T4, diet with aflatoxin (3 ppm) + sodic montmorillonite (0.25%); T5, diet with sodic montmorillonite (0.50%); T6, diet with aflatoxin (3 ppm) + sodic montmorillonite (0.5%); with six repetitions of each treatment. The diet with 3 ppm of aflatoxin resulted in a significant decrease in serum concentrations of total protein, albumin, globulins and aspartate aminotransferase; there was significant decrease of seric concentration of uric acid in the diet with aflatoxin (3 ppm) + 0.25% sodic montmorillonite; in the diet with aflatoxin + 0.5% sodic montmorillonite there was significant decrease in seric concentrations of phosphorus. Aflatoxin in the diet (3 ppm) causes change in the hepatic function of broiler chickens. The use of 0.5% sodic montmorillonite is effective in preventing the toxic effects of aflatoxins, but causes decrease in phosphorus seric levels.