Effect of 2(3)-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA) and 2-chloroethanol against pyrrole production and chronic toxicity of monocrotaline in chickens.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are found in numerous plant species throughout the world. Poultry losses due to feed contamination with seeds of Crotalaria species are well documented. Monocrotaline is the major toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloid of Crotalaria species. Studies in laboratory animals and chickens have shown a protective effect of 2(3)-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA) from monocrotaline in both acute and chronic toxicity. 2-Chloroethanol is thought to interfere with the detoxification mechanisms of the alkaloids. Chickens were administered monocrotaline after separate groups were pretreated with BHA and 2-chloroethanol. There was an apparent deleterious effect of monocrotaline in 2-chloroethanol-pretreated chickens, similar to that in non-pretreated birds, with respect to growth rates, morbidity, mortality, and hepatic histopathology. Monocrotaline pyrrole formation was measured in chickens pretreated with BHA and 2-chloroethanol by means of the Erlich reagent reaction spectrophotometric assay. There was a significant difference in pyrrole production between the treatment groups. The 2-chloroethanol plus monocrotaline (40 mg/kg), BHA (500 mg/kg) plus monocrotaline, monocrotaline, BHA (100 mg/kg) plus monocrotaline (20 mg/kg), and BHA (500 mg/kg) plus 2-chloroethanol and monocrotaline groups had decreasing amounts of pyrrole metabolite formation respectively.