Amelioration of aflatoxicosis by methionine supplementation in broiler chickens

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of methionine in combating the experimental aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens. Two hundred and forty, day-old broiler chicks were divided into six treatment groups containing 5 replicates of 8 birds each (T₁-control; T₂- T₁+250 ppb AFB; T₃- T₁+0.05% Met; T₄- T₁+0.1% Met; T₅- T₂+0.05% Met; T₆-T₂+0.1% Met) and the experiment was conducted for 42 days. Decrease(P<0.05) in total serum protein, cholesterol, uric acid and haemoglobin levels and increase in the activity of SGPT, SGOT and H/L ratio was observed in AF fed group (T₂). AF in the feed caused a significant reduction in HA titer against sheep RBC and CMI responses to phytohemagglutinin in broilers. Broilers receiving AFB₁ alone (T₂) had degenerative change in hepatic cells, proliferation of bile ducts along with periportal infiltration of MNCs in liver and degenerative changes and focal area of necrosis along with infiltration of inflammatory cells in intestine. The reduced villus length/crypt depth ratio in AF fed group was improved by supplementation of met at both levels. Addition of met @ 0.1% above the NRC recommendation in starting (total 0.6% Met) and finishing diet (total 0.48% Met) in the AF contaminated diet improved the blood biochemical and haematological parameters and immune response during 0–6 weeks age of broiler chickens. Supplementation of met at 0.1% reduced the severity of the hepatic and intestinal histopathological changes associated with aflatoxicosis and improved the intestinal health of broiler chickens. The results revealed that dietary supplementation of 0.1% methionine to the aflatoxin contaminated diet had pronounced ameliorative effect on all above parameters during aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens.