Response of broilers to dietary inclusion of atoxigenic <i>Aspergillus flavus</i> strain as a biocontrol strategy of aflatoxin

Abstract

The objective of this trial was to evaluate how broilers responded to <i>Aspergillus flavus</i> strains that are toxigenic and atoxigenic. The study included four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial design, with six replicates of 10 birds each. As a result of this study measuring feed intake (FI), weight gain (WG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), crude protein, ether extract, and crude fibre, the interaction was insignificant between the toxigenic and atoxigenic diets (<i>P</i> > 0.05). Consumption of toxigenic aflatoxin B1-500 ppb diet decreased FI and WG but increased FCR, and cost to produce live broiler weight (<i>P</i> < 0.05) compared to the control diets. The addition of atoxigenic strains to contaminated diets significantly offset (<i>P</i> < 0.05) the effects. Diets with or without 500 ppb toxigenic and atoxigenic <i>A. flavus</i> did not affect the relative weight g/100gBW of pancreas, gizzard and bursa of Fabricius. Dietary inclusion of 500 ppb toxigenic <i>Aspergillus</i> spp. increased the relative weight (<i>P</i> < 0.05) of the kidney, liver, spleen and thymus while atoxigenic dietary addition reduced the relative weight of the same organs (<i>P</i> < 0.05). Dietary inclusion of toxigenic and atoxigenic <i>Aspergillus</i> spp. did not significantly affect the haematological parameters measured (<i>P</i> < 0.05). Dietary inclusion of 500 ppb toxigenic <i>Aspergillus</i> elevated the urea, creatine, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the serum of the broilers (<i>P</i> < 0.05). A decrease was observed when atox igenic <i>A. flavus</i> was used in the intervention for urea, creatinine and AST (<i>P</i> < 0.05), whereas an insignificant reduction was observed for ALT and ALP (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.05). This study concluded that dietary atoxigenic strain improved broiler performance, digestibility, and blood parameters.