Histopathological studies on mycotoxicoses in broiler chicks

ABSTRACT

The histopathological examination of various organs of chicks fed mycotoxins contaminated food revealed the severe toxic effect of ingestion of different mycotoxins combination [aflatoxin B[1] 100 ppb+sterigmatocystin 350 ppb;aflatoxin B[1] 100 ppb+patulin 100 ppb; aflatoxin B[1] 100 ppb+penicillinic acid 850 ppb; or aflatoxins B[2] a 0.9 ppb+G2a 25 ppb+MI 0.9 ppb+M21.0 ppb], Even in low contamination levels of mycotoxins, remarkable pathological alterations were produced in different organs of birds. The liver showed diffuse ballooning of hepatocytes, central zonal congestion, necrosis and cellular infiltration. The kidney was the seat of marked cloudy swelling of the proximal convuluted tubules and minute foci of tubular necrosis. The severity of toxicity of the contaminants combination of each of the last three diets was similar; but each of them was more toxic than the first contaminated diet [aflatoxin BI+sterigmatocytins]. The recovery period of four weeks [during which the birds were fed on mycotoxins free diet] was not enough to remove the histopathological abnormalities but only led to alleviation of the lesions