Enzyme profile and haematology as indices of morbidity in broilers fed dietary aflatoxin

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the toxic potentials of aflatoxin contaminated feed on vital organs and tissues in broilers using various ‘marker’ like enzymes, kidney function indices and haematological parameters. Fifteen birds were randomly distributed on three dietary treatments comprising of five birds per treatment. Treatment A (control) received a diet containing less than 20ppb, treatment B (90ppb) and treatment C ( 180ppb) aflatoxin level respectively throughout the 5-week study period. Using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan’s Multiple Range Test, the result showed that the concentration of Liver alkaline phosphatase and liver alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase reduced progressively with an increase in dietary aflatoxin concentration. However, there was an increase in serum alkaline phosphatase and alanine transaminase as the toxin load increased in the feed.. The overall results of the haematological parameters indicate that the birds are not affected by the varying aflatoxin levels.