Residues of Aflatoxins in the Liver, Muscle and Eggs of Domestic Fowls

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The residue of aflatoxins in the liver, muscle and eggs of laying ducks, hens and quails and in broiler chickens was examined by conducting 7-day feeding experiments with a diet containing 3 ppm Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). Birds were sacrificed on the 8th or 11th day of AFB1 feeding. AFB1 and its metabolites in the tissues and eggs were determined by HPLC. The tissue levels of AFB1 and its metabolites were higher in quail than in the other birds. The levels of AFB1 and its metabolites, including acid-hydrolyzable metabolites, were more than 10-fold higher in the liver than in the muscle in all the species. The ratio of AFB1 in the feed to the residual level in the liver was 383 in quail, but was ≥ 5769 in the other birds. The corresponding ratios in the egg yolk and albumen of AFB1 were 4615 and 3846, respectively, in chicken hens, and these values were higher than those in the other birds. KEY WORDS: aflatoxin B1, domestic fowl, residue.J. Vet. Med. Sci. 64(11): 1037-1039, 2002 Aflatoxins are toxic, carcinogenic secondary metabolites of Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) being the most toxic and frequently produced metabolite. There have been many observations of aflatoxin residues in the tissues and eggs of broiler chickens and laying hens [1-3, 7, 10, 11, 13], but little is known about aflatoxin residues in ducks and quails. In this study, we investigated the aflatoxin residue in the liver, muscle and eggs of laying ducks, hens and quails and in broiler chickens by conducting short-term feeding experiments, with an emphasis on comparison between species.The cultures of Aspergillus flavus (a local strain of the Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Thailand) on potato dextrose agar were dissolved in distilled water, mixed with 30% moisture-commercial corn and kept in gunny sacks for 1-2 weeks to allow aflatoxin production. After being dried and ground, the contaminated corn was mixed with feed to give 3 ppm aflatoxin B1 concentration, and then kept in a refrigerator until used.Eighteen each 6-month-old Kaki Campbell laying ducks, 6-month-old laying hens that were cross-breed of Rhode Island Red (cock) and Bar Premutroc (hen) chickens and 40-day-old Arbor Acor broiler chickens (Bang-Pa-Kong 1 Breed from the Department of Livestock Development, Thailand), and sixty 2-month-old laying Japanese quails (Coturnix Coturnix Japonica) were purchased from farmers around Bangkok. For control groups, 6 laying ducks, laying hens and broiler chickens, and 20 laying quails, were given conventional feed free of aflatoxins. The other birds were fed a diet containing 3 ppm AFB1 for 7 days, from the morning of the first day until the evenng of the 8th day. In preliminary experiments, no birds died and AFB1 was detected in the livers of the birds with this feeding regime.Half of the control and aflatoxin-fed groups were sacrificed on the 8th day, and the remaining birds were sacrified on the 11th day, 3 days after withdrawal of the contaminated feed.The liver and muscle we...

Effects of feeding corn naturally contaminated with AFB₁ and AFB₂ on performance and aflatoxin residues in broilers

“…Moreover, Bintvihok and Kositcharoenkul (2006) found AFB 1 residues at levels of 0.13 and 0.02 µg/kg and the AFM 1 residues at levels of 0.32 and 0.08 µg/kg, respectively in the livers and muscles of broilers receiving feed contaminated with 100 µg/kg of AFB 1 . Meanwhile, in hens that were administered a diet containing 3 mg/kg AFB 1 , the ratios of AFB 1 in the feed to the residual level in the egg yolk and albumen were 4615 and 3846, respectively (Bintvihok et al, 2002). In our study, the concentrations of AFM 1 residue in the livers from groups III and V were 0.033 and 0.051 µg/kg, respectively.…”

Determination of the effects of aflatoxin B1givenin ovoon the proximal tibial growth plate of broiler chickens: histological, histometric and immunohistochemical findings

“…The dietary AFs and their metabolites have carcinogenic, teratogenic, mutagenic and growth inhibitory effects, and they also infiltrate and accumulate in most of the soft tissues and fat depots of the chicken (Leeson et al, 1995;Bintvihok et al, 2002). AF residues are also found in the egg (Jacobson & Wiseman, 1974;Sudhakar, 1992;Qureshi et al, 1998).…”

A Case Report of Aflatoxicosis in a Country Chicken Unit with Retarded Egg Production

“…The variation of aflatoxin residue in the eggs confirm that only small quantities of the aflatoxins are likely to be deposited, while the majority of aflatoxins detoxified and /or stored in liver and other poultry tissues such as ovary, kidney, crops, breast muscles, thigh and excreted in excreta (Trucksess et al, 1983;Bintvihok et al, 2002). …”