Effect of vasicine in mitigating experimentally induced aflatoxicosis and ochratoxicosis in broiler chicken

Abstract

The present study was carried out to conduct a survey and to identify the level of AFB1 and OTA contamination in the routine poultry feed and feed ingredients received at the Animal Feed Analytical and Quality Assurance Laboratory (AFAQAL), Veterinary College and Research Institute, Namakkal as season wise and year wise for a period of one year from October 2019 to October 2020 (North East monsoon period, Non monsoon period and South West monsoon period). The results revealed contamination of AFB1 in all the poultry feed and feed ingredients tested with highest level in groundnut oil cake, maize, de-oiled rice bran followed by broiler pre starter, broiler starter feed, broiler finisher feed, broken rice and soybean meal throughout the year with more number of samples received during South West monsoon. OTA contamination was found in the poultry feed and feed ingredients tested with highest level in de-oiled sunflower cake followed by soybean meal and maize during the rainy seasons with almost no toxin detected in others and in highest number of samples received during the North East monsoon period. newlineSafety pharmacology of A. vasica at the highest level of inclusion at 0.5 per cent was assessed in vivo in birds and it was found that feeding the crude leaf powder at this level was safe with no adverse effects on growth performance, bone morphometric characters, serum biochemical values, antioxidant enzymes and organ toxicity.