INFLUENCE OF DIETARY RICE CULTURE MATERIAL CONTAINING CYCLOPIAZONIC ACID ON CERTAIN SERUM BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF BROILER-CHICKENS

Three hundred and forty-eight Vencob broiler chickens were fed diets c ontaining Penicillium griseofulvum rice culture material with 0, 12.5, 25 and 50 ppm of the mycotoxin cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) for 28 days. Serum samples were collected from 9 birds in each group at weekly inte rvals to study the effect of sublethal doses of CPA on certain serum b iochemical parameters. Significant reductions in weight gains (p < 0.0 1) and feed consumptions 0) < 0.05) were observed at 25 and 50 ppm. Ex ocrine pancreas showed degenerative and necrotic changes in CPA fed ch ickens. The CPA had significant (p < 0.05) influence on serum total pr otein, albumin, cholesterol, amylase and lipase levels. CPA did not af fect serum glucose levels. There was a decline in levels of total seru m protein and albumin in CPA fed groups. But serum cholesterol, amylas e and lipase showed dose-dependent increases.