Efficacy of powdered alfalfa leaves to ameliorate the toxic effects of aflatoxin B1 in turkey poults.

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of an adsorbent material based on powdered alfalfa leaves added in the aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-contaminated diet of turkey poults on production parameters, blood cell count, serum biochemistry, liver enzymes, and liver histology. For this purpose, three hundred and fifty female Nicholas-700 poults were randomly assigned into five treatments: (1) Control, AFB1-free diet; (2) AF, diet contaminated with 250 ng AFB1/g; (3) Alfalfa, AFB1-free diet + 0.5% (w/w) adsorbent; (4) AF+alfalfa, diet contaminated with 250 ng AFB1/g + 0.5% (w/w) adsorbent, and (5) AF+ yeast cell wall (YCW), diet contaminated with 250 ng AFB1/g + 0.5% (w/w) of yeast cell wall (a commercial mycotoxin binder used as reference material). The in vivo efficacy of powdered alfalfa leaves was assessed during a 28-day period. In general, the addition of powdered alfalfa leaves in the AFB1-free diet gave the best performance results (body weight, body weight gain, and feed intake) and improved the values of total protein, glucose, calcium, creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen. Moreover, the addition of powdered alfalfa leaves in the AFB1-contaminated diet enhanced body weight and body weight gain and significantly reduced the feed intake, compared to the AF and AF+YCW groups. Additionally, significant alterations in serum parameters were observed in poults intoxicated with the AFB1, compared to the Control group. Furthermore, typical histopathological lesions were observed in the liver of the AF group, which were significantly ameliorated with the addition of powdered alfalfa leaves. Conclusively, these results pointed out that low inclusion of powdered alfalfa leaves in the contaminated feed counteracted the adverse effects of AFB1 in turkey poults.

Effects of functional oils on performance and carcass characteristics of broilers under two different temperature environments.

As antioxidants such as some functional oils are good candidates to mitigate heat stress, a commercial blend of functional oils (Essential, Oligo Basics USA LLC, Cary, NC; active ingredients: cashew nut shell oil and castor oil) was used to study the effects of two ambient temperatures (moderate and high) on broiler chicken performance and carcass parameters. A total of 2,240 straight-run one-day-old chickens were sorted by weight, randomized among 28 floor pens with 80 chickens per pen and 7 replicates for each treatment. Birds were assigned to one of 4 dietary treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two temperature environments (moderate and high) and without or with Essential supplementation (1.5 kg/ton). Variances for the average temperature, relative humidity, and dew point for the two environments were different (P < 0.001), showing that the high-temperature environment reached higher temperatures and dew points. Essential supplementation increased body weight gain at 42 D of age (2.548 vs. 2.508 kg; P < 0.01) and tended to improve feed conversion (1.621 vs. 1.644; P = 0.09) independent of temperature environment. The high-temperature environment increased mortality (7.5 vs. 12.4%; P = 0.03) and carcass yields (77.5 vs. 76.2%; P < 0.01). Breast yields were affected by an environment by Essential interaction (P < 0.01). Whereas the high-temperature environment decreased breast yield in control birds, it did not decrease breast yield in birds supplemented with Essential. Finally, breast yields were increased by Essential supplementation (23.6 vs. 22.9%; P < 0.01) regardless of the ambient temperature. In conclusion, Essential supplementation improved weight gains and carcass characteristics, and high-temperature environments decreased breast yields when Essential was not supplemented.