Background: Aspergillus flavus is the most important fungus for production of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). This study evaluated the ability of gamma rays (GRs) and electron-beam irradiation (EBI) to counteract the deleterious effects of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in a chicken model. Methods: Overall, 168 one-day-old male Coturnix quails were assigned to eight treatments for 42 d in Tehran, Iran, in 2010 and 2011. Two dietary inclusion rates of AFB1 (0 and 2 ppm) and toxin binders, such as 0, 27 kGy doses of GRs, 27 kGy doses of EBI, and 0.3% of commercial toxin binder-milbond-TX, were tested in a 2×4 factorial manner. Serum biochemical parameters, immune response, and dietary treatments on factors associated with kidney and lipid profiles were determined on day 42. Results: AFB1 significantly decreased the hematological parameters (Hematocrit in 21 and 42 d), immune response (White blood cell (WBC), heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (H/L) and sheep red blood cell (SRBC)), and blood chemical factors (glucose, albumin, total protein, and triglycerides) compared to the control diet (P<0.05). It also significantly increased the calcium, phosphorus, uric acid, and lowdensity lipoprotein (LDL) levels (P<0.05). The addition of toxin binders, such as GRs, EBI, and milbond-TX, in the contaminated diets significantly diminished the inhibitory effects of dietary AFB1 (P<0.05) on the hematological parameters, immune response, blood chemical factors, and factors associated with kidney and lipids profile with no differences compared to the control diet. Conclusion: The addition of these toxin binders may reduce the adverse effects produced by the presence of AFB1 in Japanese quails' diets.

Background: This cross sectional study was conducted to evaluate the effect of &gamma-rays and electron-beam irradiation with a commercial toxin binder-milbond-TX on the performance, feed components, and meat quality of Japanese quails challenged with aflatoxin B1. Methods: Overall, 168 One-d-old chicks (Japanese quails) were allocated to eight treatments with three replicates based on a completely randomized design in a 2×4 factorial arrangement. Two levels of aflatoxin (Zero and 2 ppm) were considered as the essential factor. The secondary factor was involved in four levels (Control, 27 k Gy doses of &gamma-rays, electron-beam irradiation, and 0.3% commercial toxin binder-milbond-TX). Results: In vitro condition showed that experiment diets do not have any effect on meat quality and feed components such as malondialdehyde, protein, fat, ash, and the dry matter. However, the highest and the lowest levels of feed intake and body weight gain were observed in the 7th treatment (2-ppm aflatoxin B1 + electron-beam irradiation) and the 2nd treatment (2-ppm aflatoxin B1 alone), respectively in 1-15 and 29-42 days (P&le0.05). In addition, the highest liver weight (1.73), spleen (0.57) and bursa (0.18) were seen in the second treatment (2 ppm aflatoxin B1) alone (P&le0.05) at the age of 42 days. Conclusion: &gamma-rays and electron-beam irradiation plus commercial toxin binder-milbond-TX can be used for aflatoxin B1 absorption in poultry diets.

The compensatory growth response (CGR) and some selected physiological parameters were evaluated in sobaity (Sparidentex hasta, 10 g) and yellowfin seabreams (Acanthopagrus latus, 4.3 g) juveniles subjected to a 2‐week restricted feeding. Fish were first fed at 0%, 25%, 50% and 75% of the satiation level for a 2‐week period, and then, they were refed for 6 weeks at the visual satiation level. The control group was fed to the satiation everyday for 8 weeks. Three hundred sobaty seabream juveniles were stocked into 15 tanks (20 fish tank−1), and 450 yellowfin seabream juveniles were allocated into 15 tanks (30 fish tank−1) and were fed on a commercial feed (500 g kg−1 crude protein and 150 g kg−1 crude fat). Survival rate was decreased in R0% group in S. hasta because of the cannibalism, which was triggered by feed restriction. After the 2 weeks of feed restriction, the control and R0% treatments in S. hasta (16.0 vs. 9.3 g) and A. latus (3.9 vs. 6.2 g) had the highest and lowest body weight, respectively. After the 6 weeks of refeeding trial, all the ration‐restricted groups showed a full CGR in S. hasta. Regarding A. latus juveniles, except for R0%, the other groups showed a full CGR. Feed conversion ratio was improved in S. hasta that subjected to the 2‐week feed restriction, but this parameter did not change in A. latus. Antioxidant enzyme activities in the liver of S. hasta juveniles, including glutathione‐S‐transferase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase along with liver enzymes including alkaline aminotransferase, aspartate amino transferase, lactate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase gradually were decreased with reducing the severity of the feed restriction. Regarding A. latus, all mentioned antioxidant and the liver enzymes in the feed‐restricted groups were higher than the control. R75% and control groups in S. hasta had the greatest and the least trypsin and alkaline phosphatase activities. In A. latus, R25%, R50% and R75% groups had higher trypsin, chymotrypsin and lipase activities compared with the other groups (p < .05). By considering all the selected physiological responses in both species, it can be concluded that increasing the feed restriction severity can trigger oxidative stress that may compromise health condition.