Effects of feeding diet contaminated with deoxynivalenol on plasma chemistry in growing broiler chickens and the efficacy of glucomannan mycotoxin adsorbent

The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of modified glucomannan (Mycosorb®) on plasma chemistry of broiler chicks after deoxynivalenol (DON) inclusion in the diet from hatching to 6 weeks of age. Three groups of broiler chicks were formed with 14 birds in each group. The three diets included control (0.2 ppm deoxynivalenol), deoxynivalenol-contaminated (3 ppm deoxynivalenol) and deoxynivalenol- contaminated (3 ppm deoxynivalenol) plus Mycosorb®(2 g/kg diet). After 6 weeks of feeding all birds were sacrificed and blood samples for chemical analyses were collected. Serum calcium and alanine aminotransferase activity were significantly elevated and magnesium, total protein, triglycerides and free glycerol were decreased in chicks fed deoxynivalenol-contaminated diet compared with those fed the control diet. Inclusion of Mycosorb®in the diet decreased plasma alkaline phosphatase and alanine aminotransferase activities and reversed plasma levels of magnesium, triglycerides, free glycerol and total protein in chicks induced by dietary deoxynivalenol. Chloride level was not affected by diets. The inclusion of Mycosorb® to DONcontaminated diet, however, did not prevent or alleviate toxic effect on calcium metabolism. Supplementation of modified glucomannan Mycosorb® counteracted most of the plasma parameter alterations caused by deoxynivalenol-contaminated diet in chicks