Detoxification of aflatoxin B1 by lactic acid bacteria and hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate in broiler chickens

Aflatoxin contamination is very common in feedstuffs across the world and finding an ideal detoxifier is urgent because of the toxic action on animals and negative effects on foods, humans, and the environment. To thoroughly eliminate the toxin, a detoxification method has changed from physical to biological. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS) on detoxification of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) by assessing growth performance, digestibility, immune function, and AFB1 residues in tissues and excreta of broiler chickens from d 0 to 21. A total of 480 female broiler chicks on d 0 were randomly allotted to 4 treatments with 6 cages of 20 chicks each for diets: positive control (PC, undetectable AFB1), negative control (NC, PC + 40 µg AFB1/kg), LAB (NC + 1.5 × 1010 cfu LAB/kg), and HSCAS (NC + 3.0 g HSCAS/kg). Results showed that the NC treatment reduced (P < 0.05) average daily gain and feed efficiency, and LAB or HSCAS supplementation improved (P < 0.05) the growth performance of broiler chickens, and the effect of LAB was greater than HSCAS. The LAB and HSCAS increased (P < 0.05) the digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, crude fat, and digestible energy by 4.0-15.0%, and improved (P < 0.05) immune function by modulating the relative weights of immune organs, lymphocyte percentages, and immunoglobulin contents. Additionally, residual AFB1 in serum and organs in LAB treatment was lower (P < 0.05) than HSCAS. The results indicate that LAB and HSCAS can detoxify AFB1 in the diet of broiler chickens, and LAB is more effective than HSCAS in partial biodegradation of AFB1.