Aflatoxin B1, a mycotoxin that belongs to the group of aflatoxins, is mostly produced by A. flavus or A. parasiticus species of Aspergillus. Both human and animal health are adversely affected by these hazardous secondary metabolites. They can get into the food chain through tainted fruits and crops as well as through processed foods and animal feed. Products from agriculture and the food industry, such as cereals, spices, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and dry fruits, might contain aflatoxin B1. It has been shown in numerous investigations that feeding broilers pure aflatoxin B1 has a negative impact on their growth. Higher levels of Aflatoxin B1 (1-5 mg/kg) have been shown to be hepatotoxic to broilers, causing pathological liver lesions. The impact of broiler food contaminated with high or low levels of aflatoxins on the health and sustainability of production, however, has not been thoroughly explored in the literature. Although most of the experiments produced modestly beneficial benefits, substantial outcomes were infrequent. There needs to be more investigation because there are practically infinite options for aflatoxin B1 dosage and length of exposure. Results comparison becomes challenging when there is a lack of standardization. To assess the ideal aflatoxin B1 dosage, the precise mechanism of action, and its effects on the sustainability of broiler meat production and residues of aflatoxin B1 in broiler meat, additional research under more standardized conditions is still required.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of diet including aflatoxin B1, thyme oil, and their combination on productive performance, nutrient digestibility, and carcass criteria of broiler chickens. A total of 192 one-day-old, unsexed broiler chickens (Ross 308) were divided into four treatment diets. Each treatment included 6 replicates (8 birds per each). During the period from 11-20 days of age, the birds were fed a basal diet without any supplementation (Negative control group; NC), a basal diet supplemented with aflatoxin B1 at 40 μg/kg in (positive control; PC), positive control diet supplemented with thyme oil at 200 mg/kg (Treatment 1; T1) and negative control diet supplemented with thyme oil at 200 mg/kg (Treatment 2; T2). The results indicated that supplementation of a combination of aflatoxin B1 at 40 µg/kg to broilers diet significantly (P<0.05) reduced body weight gain during the period of from 21-30 d and 1-38 days of age compared to other treatments. Thyme oil supplementation dramatically improved body weight, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio compared to other treatments. Regarding feed intake, nutrient digestibility, and carcass parameters, there were no appreciable variations between treatments. It could be concluded that thyme oil can reduce the negative impact of aflatoxin B1 in broiler diets.