Effects of Fusarium mycotoxins with yeast cell wall absorbent on hematology, serum biochemistry, and oxidative stress in broiler chickens

The objectives of the present study were to investigate the toxicity of feed-borne Fusarium mycotoxins on hematology, serum biochemistry, and oxidative stress of broiler chickens, and to evaluate the efficacy of yeast cell wall adsorbent (YCW) in preventing mycotoxins-induced adverse effects. A total of 300 one-day-old Arbor Acres broiler chickens (mixed sex) were randomly divided into 3 groups and received different treatments (5 repetitions per treatment). Treatments were control, naturally contaminated diet (NCD; aflatoxin, 102.08 mg/kg; zearalenone, 281.92 mg/kg; fumonisin, 5,874.38 mg/kg; deoxynivalenol, 2,038.96 mg/kg), and NCD + 2 g/kg of YCW. Broilers fed NCD showed elevated serum alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) at 21 d, and alanine transaminase, GGT, creatine kinase, and MDA at 42 d. Higher white blood cell, lymphocyte (LYM), platelet, red blood cell, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin counts at 21 d, as well as LYM in whole blood and hepatic mRNA expression of heat shock protein 70 at 42 d were also observed in broilers fed with NCD compared with the control diet. However, lower mean corpuscular volume at 42 d and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) at both 21 and 42 d were observed in broilers with the NCD treatment when compared with those with the control treatment. Dietary addition of YCW at the level of 2 g/kg in addition to the NCD treatment showed a positive protective effect on GGT, T-SOD in serum, white blood cells, LYM, platelets, and hemoglobin in whole blood at 21 d, and T-SOD, MDA in serum, LYM, mean corpuscular volume in whole blood, and hepatic mRNA expression of heat-shock protein 70 at 42 d. It is suggested that feeding NCD for 42 d might result in a deleterious effect on broiler chickens, and addition of 2 g/kg of YCW can partly attenuate the detrimental effects of the NCD feeding.