Effects of feeding aflatoxin-contaminated diets with and without clay to weanling and growing pigs on performance, liver function, and mineral metabolism.

Ninety-six crossbred weanling pigs (36 d of age, initial weight of 8.8 kg) were used in a three-phase study to determine the effects of feeding an aflatoxin-contaminated corn (AC) diet (922 ppb of aflatoxin B1) with and without sodium bentonite (clay) on performance, liver function, and mineral metabolism. In the nursery phase, control corn (NC) or AC was fed in corn-soybean meal diets with and without 1% clay for 6 wk. Compared with NC, AC decreased ADFI and ADG (P < .01) and increased serum activities of gamma-glutamyltransferase (P < .01) and alkaline phosphatase (P < .05). In the growing phase, 48 pigs from the nursery phase were fed NC but continued on their respective clay treatments for 5 wk. Pigs previously fed AC had higher (P < .01) ADFI and lower (P < .05) gain/feed, serum Ca, K, and glucose; ADG, other serum values, and liver minerals were not affected by treatments. In the metabolism phase, 24 barrows from the nursery phase were continued on the same corn and clay treatments for two 4-d total collections of urine and feces. Feeding AC increased (P < .05) P and Na absorption. The addition of clay lowered Mg and Na absorption (P < .01) for both AC and NC. Significant interactions for many minerals indicated that the effects on mineral metabolism were more pronounced when AC was fed. Serum and liver mineral concentrations were generally unaffected by the treatments in all phases. Feeding clay with AC results in partial restoration of performance and liver function without greatly influencing mineral metabolism.