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Awad WA, Bohm J, Razzazi-Fazeli E, Zentek J.
Effects of feeding Vomitoxin (deoxynivalenol)
(DON) contaminated wheat on growth performance,
organ weights and histological parameters of the intestine of
broiler chickens.
J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl). 2006 Feb;90(1-2):32-7.
Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Science,
Institute of Nutrition, University of Veterinary Medicine,
Vienna, Austria.
A feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of
moderate dietary concentrations of deoxynivalenol (DON) during a
21-day feeding experiment on the performance of broilers.
Fifteen 1-day-old broiler chicks were randomly divided into two
groups. The control group was fed non-contaminated diet. Another
group of broilers was fed a diet naturally contaminated with 5
mg DON/kg diet. Deoxynivalenol had no effect (p > 0.05) on feed
consumption, feed conversion, body-weight gain, live body weight
or mortality. The absolute and relative weight of the organs
(gizzard, pancreas, heart, spleen, colon and caecum) were not
altered by the dietary inclusion of DON contaminated grain.
However, both the absolute and relative weight of small
intestine was decreased (p < 0.01) in DON fed broilers compared
to the controls. No gross lesions were detected in any of the
organs of birds fed contaminated wheat during the feeding trial.
The microscopic examination revealed that, the height and the
width of villi in duodenum decreased (p < 0.05) in birds fed DON
contaminated wheat compared to controls. On the other hand the
height and the width of jejunum villi were not affected (p >
0.05). This study indicates that feeding DON for 21 days to
broiler chickens at a concentration of up to 5 mg/kg of diet
influenced the weight of the small intestine as well as
intestinal histology, especially the duodenum, as evidenced by
shorter and thinner villi. In conclusion, diets with DON
contamination below levels that induce negative impact on health
and performance could affect small intestinal morphology in
broilers.
PMID: 16422767
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