The effect of vitamin A added to diet contained aflatoxin on performance, liver and spleen weights and tibia ash in broilers

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of vitamin A supplementation on performance, liver and spleen weights, and tibia ash of broilers. A total of 84 one-day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 12 pens each containing seven chicks (4 male, 3 female). Each treatment has 4 replicates. The experiment was conducted with one control and two treatment groups. The chicks in control group were fed a diet without aflatoxin supplementation while the chicks in aflatoxin and aflatoxin+vitamin A groups were fed with the diets 2.5 ppm aflatoxin, and 2.5 ppm aflatoxin + 3866.66 IU vitamin A/kg feed, respectively. The experiment lasted 21 days. In this study, body weight of chicks in aflatoxin and aflatoxin+vitamin A groups were significantly lower (p<0.01) than the chicks in control group. At the end of the experiment, body weight of chicks in control, aflatoxin and aflatoxin+vitamin A groups were found as 480.04 +/- 15.76, 362.52 +/- 16.06 and 353.04 +/- 16.06 g respectively. Supplementation of aflatoxin at the level of 2.5 ppm with and without vitamin A at the level of 3866.66 IU/kg feed to the diets decreased (p<0.001) feed consumption and did not cause a significant difference for feed conversion in all groups. Liver and spleen weights were higher (p<0.01) in aflatoxin and aflatoxin+vitamin A groups than those of the control group. Tibia ash of chicks was higher in control group (p<0.05) than those of aflatoxin group and similar to aflatoxin+vitamin A group.