1. Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP), synthetic zeolite (SZ) and bentonite (BNT), when incorporated into the diets at 3, 5 and 5 g/kg respectively, were evaluated for their ability to reduce the deleterious effects of 2.5 mg aflatoxin (AF; 83.06% AFB1, 12.98% AFB2, 2.84% AFG1, and 1.12% AFG2,)/kg diet on growing broiler chickens from 1 day to 3 weeks of age. A total of 210 chicks were divided into 10 treatment groups (control, AF, PVPP, AF plus PVPP, PVPP plus SZ, AF plus PVPP plus SZ, PVPP plus BNT, AF plus PVPP plus BNT, AF plus SZ and AF plus BNT) each consisting of 21 chicks. 2. When compared to control, the AF treatment significantly decreased serum total protein, albumin, inorganic phosphorus, uric acid and total cholesterol, and the values of haematocrit, haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, thrombocyte counts, percentage of lymphocyte and monocyte counts; increased values of white blood cell and heterophil counts. 3. Decreased serum albumin caused by AF was significantly ameliorated by PVPP plus BNT. A similar increase was obtained in serum total cholesterol by adding BNT to the AF-containing diet. 4. The serum uric acid, white blood cell counts and percentage of lymphocyte and monocyte counts were numerically intermediate between control and AF values in all of the adsorbent treatments containing AF. The change in thrombocyte counts was alleviated by all of the adsorbent treatments containing AF, except AF plus SZ. The addition of the adsorbents in the AF-free diets did not significantly alter the serum biochemical and haematological parameters compared to controls.

1. Protective action of an enzyme-linked polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP, Mycofix Plus) against the immunosuppressive effect of afatoxins (AF) was evaluated by determination of peripheral blood T-lymphocyte proportions and splenic plasma cell counts. Histological changes in lymphoid organs were also investigated by light microscopy. One-d-old broiler chicks (Hybro) received 2.5 mg/kg diet AF (83.06% AFB1, 12.98% AFB2, 2.84% AFG1, 1.12% AFG2) with or without PVPP (3g/kg diet) until 21 d of age. When compared with controls, AF treatment significantly decreased peripheral T-lymphocyte counts. AF caused a slight decrease in splenic plasma cell counts. The addition of PVPP to an AF-containing diet significantly increased T-lymphocyte counts. Splenic plasma cell counts were numerically intermediate between control and AF groups. 3. The dietary addition of PVPP to AF-free diet did not significantly alter either T-lymphocyte or splenic plasma cell counts.

1. The embryotoxicity of mixed aflatoxins (AF) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) were evaluated by a modified chick embryotoxicity screening test (CHEST). Adverse effects on the early embryonic development of thymus and bursa of Fabricius were also investigated by light microscopy. AF consisted of 83.06% AFB1, 12.98% AFB2, 2.84% AFG1 and 1.12% AFG2. 2. A total of 448 fertilised laying hens' eggs were used. AF and AFB1 were injected into the eggs at doses of 10, 100 and 1000 ng/egg. Embryonic developmental stages were evaluated according to the Hamburger-Hamilton scale (HH-scale). 3. The results showed that AFB1 given at 10 ng/egg had a significantly (P<0.05) greater embryotoxic effect than AF given at a similar dose. The higher doses of both AF and AFB1 caused higher embryonic mortality and also an increase in early deaths. 4. In the groups receiving 100 ng/egg AF and AFB1 an abnormal development was seen, with a protruded central region, corresponding to the area pellucida of the blastoderm. No other developmental abnormality attributable to AF or AFB1 was found.

This study was conducted in order to evaluate the efficiacy of a polyvinylpolypyrrolidone for protection against aflatoxicosis in broiler chicks. For this purpose 132 day-old broiler chicks (Hybro) were used. They were divided into four groups, each of 33 chicks. Group 1: control; Group 2: 3 g of polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) per kg of diet; Group 3: 2.5 mg of aflotoxin (AF) per kg of diet; Group 4: 2.5 mg of AF per kg of diet plus 3 g of PVPP per kg of diet. The chicks were maintained on these treatments for 21 days, and then 15 broilers from each treatment group were killed for pathological examination. Hepatic lesions in broilers of AF treatment group were characterized as diffuse and severe hydropic degeneration, bile duct hyperplasia and periportal fibrosis. In the AF plus PVPP group, the liver of eight broilers showed slight or moderate hydropic degeneration. Grossly, the bursa of Fabricius was atrophied and sections revealed necrosis and depletion of lymphocytes from follicles in 12 broilers of the AF group and two of the AF plus PVPP group. In the spleen of six chicks from the AF treatment group Iymphoid areas were depleted. Thymuses from nine chicks fed the AF-alone diet showed atrophy and depletion of lymphocytes from the cortical and medullary areas. Similar changes were observed in the thymuses of four chicks from the AF plus PVPP group. The severity of atrophy in the lymphoid organs was more pronounced in the AF group than in the AF plus PVPP treatment group. In this study it was found that both the number of affected broilers and the severity of lesions were significantly decreased in the AF plus PVPP treatment group compared with AF-alone treatment. These findings suggested that PVPP can diminish the toxicity of aflatoxin in broiler chicks.

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