Trials for restoring the toxicity of aflatoxin

ABSTRACT

The effect of selenium as nutritional agent as well as ultracorn and levamisole as two non specific immunomodulatory agents was studied in relation to the induced aflatoxicosis in growing chicks. 7 groups of growing chicks, each of 15 were used in this study. All groups were fed aflatoxin B1 at a rate of 0.25 mug/gm feed for 45 days, except the first group which kept as a control. The second group was fed aflatoxin B1 alone; while the third, fourth and fifth groups were fed selenium at a rate of 0.1, 5 and 10 mug/gm feed, respectively. The sixth group administered ultracorn [40 mu l/kg b.wt.] as a single dose. The 7th group was treated with levamisole [25 mu g/kg S/C] for 3 consecutive days per week for 6 weeks. The results revealed a reduction of glutamic pyruvic transaminase and alkaline phosphatase activities of the serum and a decrease of urea and creatinine as well as elevation of vitamin A, total protein and body weight gain in birds fed on ration containing aflatoxin plus selenium in low concentration. Ultracorn and levamisole succeeded in decreasing the severity of some biochemical changes