Protective effects of powder supplementation on some quantitative and qualitative characteristics of egg, histopathological changes and serum biochemistry of laying hens fed by Aflatoxin B1.

In the recent years, the use of medicinal plants to reduce the effects of mycotoxins in foods and feeds has been considered. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of on performance, serum biochemical parameters and liver histopathology in laying hens fed on aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-contaminated diet. Seventy-two White Leghorns (Hy-Line W-36) were randomly allocated to four treatments. 1) basal diet (control), 2) control plus 1.00 mg kg AFB1, 3) control diet plus 1.00 mg kg AFB1 + 100 ppm powder, and 4) control diet plus 1.00 mg kg AFB1 + 300 ppm powder. Each treatment consisted of three replicates of 6 birds. Egg weight and Haugh units were not affected by AFB1. Egg production and eggshell thickness were lower for groups fed 1.00 mg kg AFB1. Egg production, egg weight and eggshell thickness were improved by incorporation of in the AFB1 contaminated feed but were not significant. Chickens fed AFB1 had significantly lower aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and uric acid and higher cholesterol than other groups. powder improved levels of cholesterol, uric acid, AST, and ALT. AFB1 also caused histopathological changes in liver tissues, such as vacuolar degeneration, fatty infiltration, and necrosis. The addition of powder to the aflatoxin containing diet reduced the severity of lesions in liver. The data demonstrated the ability of to reduce the adverse effects of AFB1 exposure in laying hens.