Impacts of bentonite supplementation on growth, carcass traits, nutrient digestibility, and histopathology of certain organs of rabbits fed diet naturally contaminated with aflatoxin

Abstract

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of graded levels of dietary bentonite supplementation on growth performance, carcass traits, nutrient digestibility, and histopathology of certain organs in rabbits fed a diet naturally contaminated with aflatoxin. In total, 125 weanling New Zealand White male rabbits were randomly assigned to five treatment groups each of five replicates. Treatments were as follows: T1, basal diet with no aflatoxin and no additives (positive control diet, PCD); T2, basal diet naturally contaminated with 150 ppb aflatoxin and no additives (negative control diet, NCD); T3, NCD plus 0.5% Egyptian bentonite; T4, NCD plus 1% Egyptian bentonite; and T5, NCD plus 1% Egyptian bentonite. The experiment lasted for 8 weeks. Results showed a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in the body weight and the body weight gain in the NCD, while they were improved (P < 0.05) in groups fed diets supplemented with different levels of bentonite. The relative weight of the liver and kidneys were higher in the NCD, while the liver weight was relatively high in the group fed NCD supplemented with 0.5% bentonite, and it was not significant in other bentonite-supplemented groups. Bentonite supplementation improved the digestibility coefficients of various nutrients. Bentonite addition decreased the histopathological lesions in liver, kidney, and intestine caused by aflatoxin-infected diets. In conclusion, bentonite supplementation overcame the negative effect of aflatoxin, enhanced growth performance traits, decreased the relative weights of the liver and the kidney which are usually increased by aflatoxin, caused significant improvement in nutrients' digestibility, and decreased the histopathological lesions caused by aflatoxin-infected diets. The level of 2% bentonite is recommended for ameliorating the aflatoxin effects.

Effect of dietary supplementation with insect fats on growth performance, digestive efficiency and health of rabbits

“…Dietary H or T fat inclusion did not affect either the development or the severity of the histopathological alterations in the rabbits of the current research. Degenerative and inflammatory changes of liver and kidney are usually observed in toxic diseases [52] or toxicity-induced oxidative stress conditions [53]. Hepatic and renal oxidative stress development has also been reported in rabbits fed with hypercholesterolemic diets [54], thus underlying the impact of dietary lipid modifications on liver and kidney functionality.…”

Effects of Phenolic-Rich Onion (Allium cepa L.) Extract on the Growth Performance, Behavior, Intestinal Histology, Amino Acid Digestibility, Antioxidant Activity, and the Immune Status of Broiler Chickens

“…Feed additives are widely used in the poultry industry to support animal production traits and maintain their good health (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8). Sub-therapeutic uses of antibiotics as growth promoters in poultry feed have caused controversies, such as drug resistance and residues in the meat (9).…”

Detoxification Impacts of Dietary Probiotic and Prebiotic Supplements Against Aflatoxins: An Updated Knowledge – A Review

“…Four aflatoxins were generated by A. parasiticus, A. flavus, and A. nomius, identified as Aflatoxin B1, B2 (AFB1, AFB2) and Aflatoxin G1, G2 (AFG1, AFG2), which are among the primary members of the 18 different forms of aflatoxins that have been found (Abd El-Hack et al, 2018;Amer et al, 2018). Nonetheless, in human and animal milk fed on spoiled food, Aflatoxin M1, M2 (AFM1, AFM2) metabolites of AFB1 and AFB2.…”