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Research article2018Peer reviewedOpen access

Detoxification of Aflatoxin-Contaminated Poultry Feeds by 3 Adsorbents, Bentonite, Activated Charcoal, and Fuller's Earth

Mgbeahuruike, Anthony C.; Ejioffor, Tochukwu E.; Christian, Obasi C.; Shoyinka, Vincent C.; Karlsson, Magnus; Nordkvist, Erik

Abstract

Aflatoxicosis is a major problem associated with poultry production in the tropics. We tested the ability of 3 low-cost and locally available adsorbents (activated charcoal, bentonite, and fuller's earth) to detoxify poultry feeds contaminated with aflatoxin. Bentonite was the most effective adsorbent and lowered the total aflatoxin concentration from 120 +/- 38 mu g/kg to 15 +/- 5.0 mu g/kg. The 3 adsorbent treatments resulted in 63%-100% weight increase of the birds, compared with birds fed the untreated, aflatoxin-containing feed. The number of white blood cells in blood samples was increased by 13%-17% in birds that consumed adsorbent-treated feed, compared with the untreated, aflatoxin-contaminated feed. Hepatic lesions were also prominent in the liver of the birds fed contaminated but untreated feed but were reduced in the group that were fed the adsorbent-treated feeds, especially in the bentonite-treated feed. Conclusively, the adsorbents were able to reduce the concentration of aflatoxin in the feed and this reflected positively on the general performance of the birds.

Keywords

activated charcoal; adsorbent; aflatoxin; bentonite; feed; fuller's earth; fungi

Published in

Journal of Applied Poultry Research
2018, Volume: 27, number: 4, pages: 461-471 Publisher: OXFORD UNIV PRESS