Changes in growth performance, digestive enzyme activities and nutrient digestibility of cherry valley ducks in response to aflatoxin B1 levels

The objective of this study was to investigate toxic effects of aflatoxin B1(AFB₁) on growth performance, organs, hepatic enzyme activities, apparent digestibility of nutrients and digestive enzyme activities in ducks. Ninety 1-day-old Cherry Valley commercial ducks were designed to three treatment groups with three replicates of ten birds each. Group I (control) was fed conventional feed free of AFB₁, group II or III was fed the diets containing 20 μg/kg or 40 μg/kg AFB₁-contaminated rice respectively. The feeding trial lasted 6 weeks. The results were that decreased body weight gain and feed intake, increased feed to gain ratio and selected organ weights (liver, kidney and pancreas) were observed in AFB₁-treated groups. The activities of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were significantly increased in AFB₁-contamined groups. The apparent digestibility of crude protein (CP) was significantly lower while activities of digestive enzyme from duodenum contents including protease, chymotrypsin, trypsin and amylase were increased in AFB₁-treated group. These results indicated that AFB₁ of feed could decrease growth performance and apparent digestibility of nutrients, change digestive enzyme activities of duodenum contents in duck.