Haematological Response of Broiler Chickens to Bio-control method of Aflatoxin mitigation
1Ojo Olayinka Abosede , 2Ewuola Emmanuel Olubisi and 3Bitto I. Immanuel
Date : 2018-07-30 Volume : 10

Aflatoxin is toxic, carcinogenic and ubiquitous in nature affecting both crops and livestock. Mitigating aflatoxin effect using toxin binders has not been very effective. Information on the use of biological methods in aflatoxin mitigation has not been adequately documented. Therefore, effect of aflatoxin bio-control method (Aflasafe) on growth indices, haematology and serum biochemistry of broiler chickens (BC) was investigated. One-day old Marshal BC (n=1020) were allotted to four treatments: Aflasafe maize-based diet (AMBD), farm feed (FF), aflatoxin-contaminated diet with toxin binder (ACDTB) and aflatoxin-contaminated diet without toxin binder (ACDWTB). The contaminated diets contained 306.3ppb aflatoxin and the experimental design was completely randomised with five replicates (n=255) per treatment for 8 weeks. Blood (5mL) was collected at 8th week to determine the erythrocytes, packed cell volume (PCV), Haemoglobin (Hb), eosinophil, basophil, Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA at α0.05. The highest value (28.08±0.61%) for PCV at the starter phase was obtained in birds on treatment 3 fed ACDTB, while the least value (27.16±0.34%) was recorded in birds on treatment 1 fed AMBD. Birds fed the FF+ toxin binder (T2) had the highest Hb value (9.11±0.17g/dl), while the birds fed AMBD had the least value (8.67±0.11g/dl). However, at the finisher phase, PCV of birds fed (T3) was significantly (PË‚0.05) higher (29.06±0.72%) than that of birds fed the AMBD (26.88±0.79%). The erythrocyte count (3.90±0.12×106) of broiler chickens fed the ACDWTB (T3) was observed to be significantly (PË‚0.05) higher than the values obtained in birds fed the AMBD (3.30±0.34×106/l). The mean value recorded for eosinophils in birds fed the ACDWTB (2.00±1.2%) was significantly (PË‚0.05) lower than that of the birds fed the FF (3.16±1.72%) which contained toxin binder (Control diet). Basophil values (0.20±0.5%, 0.83±1.4% and 0.32±0.6%) of birds fed AMBD (T1), ACDTB (T3) and ACDWTB (T4) respectively were not significantly different from that of the control value (0.32±0.8%). Birds fed ACDTB (7.92±0.85%) had a significantly (PË‚0.05) lower MCV value compared with the value (8.95±0.98%) obtained from the control diet (FF+ Toxin binder). 1524235319.php