Distribution and Excretion of Aflatoxin (³H-Afb₁) in Lactating Goats

Twelve lactating goats (22.3m, 37.45 kg av. body wt) were divided into two groups (1 and 2) and fed concentrate mixture and green fodder as per their nutritional requirements. Goats in group 2 were given anatoxin @1.0 ppm of their DM intake. After a preliminary feeding of 35 d and subsequent metabolism trial, 3 goats from group 2 were given an oral dose of ³H-AFB₁. 24 h later, the goats were sacrificed and various tissues were collected to estimate the tissue distribution of the toxin. Anatoxin caused no effect on the digestibility of nutrients though there was lower DM intake and lesser N balance (P<0.01). The cumulative excretion of radioactivity through urine, faeces and milk in 24 h was 12.93+0.88, 17.51+0.53 and 0.47±0.02 per cent respectively. The retention of ³H-AFB₁ was maximum in liver (37.11±0.91 per cent) followed by kidney (8.32+.0.56 per cent). Spleen, lungs, heart, ovaries, mammary gland, pancreas and gall bladder had radioactivity from 0.57 to 2.83 per cent of the administered dose.