Aflatoxins(AF), are natural contaminants of food stuffs, and toxic metabolites produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. Aflatoxins damage the liver, kidney and thymus resulting in a variety of effects including decreased growth rates, poor productivity and immunosuppression. Additionally, AF have been shown to be potent carcinogens, strong mutagens for different animal species. A study was conducted to determine the efficacy of ammoniation of aflatoxin contaminated-corn in decreasing aflatoxins in diet of broiler chicks. Three hunded and twenty day-old Ross male chicks were employed in four treatments of four replicates (each with 20 chicks) in a completely randomized design. These treatments were: 1- Without aflatoxin (control)., 2- Ammoniated corn (1% w/w)., 3- Contaminated-corn with aflatoxin (1PPm)., 4- Ammoniated (1% w/w) aflatoxin contaminated-corn (1PPm). Aflatoxin in feedstuffs was titrated by TLC and HPLC. After 21 and 42 days, three chickens from each groups were randomly slaughtered, their livers and kidneys weighted. Tissue samples of liver were collected and fixed in neutral buffered 10% formalin . During 1-42 days of experiment the body weight as well as feed intake were recorded every week. Ammonia treatment detoxified 98.8% of aflatoxins. Results indicated that ammonia-treatment of contaminated-corn improved feed conversion ratio as well as body weight (P<0.05). Relative weight (g/100g.b.w.) of the livers and kidneys in the third treatment was significantly more as compared with that in control (P<0.05). Histopathologic examination revealed severe fatty change, regenerating foci of liver cells, fibrosis of portal regions and bile ductule hyperplasia as an effect of being with the third diet (1PPm, AF).The lesions were more severe after 42 days of nutrition with contaminated feed than after 21 days of nutrition. There was alleviation in the alteration of histopatgologic as well as performance in chicks fed with detoxificated (ammonia-treated) feed. This preliminary study demonstrated that ammoniation of aflatoxin-contaminated corn in a pilot plant (~200Kg) can effectively modulate the toxic effects of aflatoxin B1 and while prolonged exposure to low concentrations of the toxin produce severe changes in fat metabolism as well as in bile ductule proliferation.
)