Toxicity of dietary Heliotropium dolosum seed to broiler chickens

Five groups of 20 female broiler chicks were fed different levels of dehull ed Heliotropium dolosum seed (w/w %; 0.0, 1.0. 3.0, 5.0 or 10.0%) from 10 t o 52 d of age. In all doses the seed caused decreases in claim feed intake, weight gain, and feed efficiency, and biochemical findings, severity of pa thologic changes, and mortality rate increased in a dose-dependent manner. Acute toxicity was observed in livers of chicks fed 10% seed. Other test gr oups had chronic changes. Livers had massive to submassive necrosis, hepati c megalocytosis, bile duct proliferation, fatty change, and periportal fibr osis, Biochemical evaluations revealed hypoalbuminemia, hypoprotienemia and increased ALP activity and billuribin. The seed of Heliotropium dolosum pr oduced biochemical and specific pathologic changes in broiler chicks, as we ll as decreased food intake and feed efficiency. Higher seed levels induced more pronounced changes.