Effect of soil on aflatoxin tissue retention in chicks when added to aflatoxin-contaminated poultry rations.

The effects of silty clay loam soil on aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) absorption were investigated when added to the diets of chicks fed aflatoxin-contaminated rations. Sixty 1-d-old White Leghorn chicks were fed a control ration (< 5 ng AFB1/g), a low aflatoxin-contaminated ration (55 ng AFB1/g), a high aflatoxin-contaminated ration (4,488 ng AFB1/g), or high aflatoxin-contaminated rations (4,488 ng AFB1/g) + 25% or 50% soil. Livers in each group were pooled and analyzed for AFB1 and metabolites. The addition of soil significantly reduced the levels of AFB1 in the livers, although the reduction was less when 25% soil was fed compared with the 50% soil feeding.