M. Abonorag et al., INFLUENCE OF A HYDRATED SODIUM-CALCIUM ALUMINOSILICATE AND VIRGINIAMYCIN ON AFLATOXICOSIS IN BROILER CHICKS, Poultry science, 74(4), 1995, pp. 626-632
Male broiler chicks were fed diets containing 0 or 3.5 mg aflatoxin (A
F)/kg from 1 to 28 d of age. The diets were amended with either .5% hy
drated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS), 16.5 mg virginiamycin (
VM)/kg of diet, or .5% HSCAS + 16.5 mg VM/kg of diet to determine the
effects of these compounds during aflatoxicosis. When compared with co
ntrols (814 g), BW gains were significantly lower for broilers fed the
AF (731 g) or AF + VM (716 g) diets. No differences were found betwee
n the BW gains of chicks fed diets without aflatoxin (814 g) and those
of chicks fed AF + HSCAS (793 g) or AF + HSCAS + VM (803 g), indicati
ng approximately 75% protection against decreased BW gain by HSCAS and
87% protection by the HSCAS + VM combination. Relative weights of the
liver and kidney and creatine kinase activity were significantly incr
eased and albumin, total protein, cholesterol, uric acid, and inorgani
c phosphorus concentrations were decreased in chicks fed the diet cont
aining AF alone. With the exception of albumin, HSCAS was effective in
restoring these values to control values. The findings of this resear
ch suggest that HSCAS and HSCAS + VM can counteract some of the toxic
effects of AF in growing broiler chicks.