Investigation of the protective effect of u. dioica l seed extract in experimental aflatoxicosis by adding AFB1 to broiler feed for 42 days.

Aflatoxicosis is a mycotoxicosis caused by aflatoxins in animals and humans. Aflatoxicosis causes important economic losses in animals and threat human healt. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective and antioxidant properties of U. dioica seeds (UDS) extract against chronic aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens. The preventive potential and antioxidant capacity of the UDS extract was evaluated by liver histopathological changes, measuring antioxidant defense systems in liver and serum of broiler. Thirty two broiler chickens were randomly divided into four experimental groups: Control, UDS extract treated, AFB1 treated and AFB1+UDS extract treated. Broilers in Control and UDS extract treated groups were fed with a diet without AFB1, AFB1 and AFB1+UDS extract treated groups received approximately 1 mg of AFB1/broiler/total for forty-two days. AFB1+UDS extract groups also received of 30 ml/kg UDS extract as supplementation diet for 42 days. At the end of the trial, samples for biochemical and histopathological analyzes were taken from the broilers undergoing necropsy. Biochemically, in the AFB1 group; while liver and serum SOD, GSH-Px, CAT, TAS and BcL-2 levels were lower than the control group, TOS and Caspase-3 levels were high (p <0.001). However, in the AFB1+UDS group, liver and serum GSH-Px and serum SOD, CAT and TAS values were significantly higher than the AFB1 group (p <0.001). In addition, in the AFB1 + UDS group, there was a slight increase in CAT and BcL-2 levels in both liver and serum samples compared to the AFB1 group (p> 0.05). In the AFB1+UDS group, TOS and Caspase-3 levels were low and BcL-2 levels were quite high in both liver and serum compared to the AFB1 group (p <0.001). Pathologically, the liver was large and pale in the AFB1 group, Histopathologically, diffuse hydropic degeneration, periportal fibrosis and activation of perisinusoidal myofibroblastic (Ito) cells were observed. These morphological changes were very significantly reduced in the AFB1+UDS group. According to these findings; due to the strong antioxidant capacity of UDS extract, it can be strongly said to have a protective effect on chronic broiler aflatoxicosis by preventing tissue damage significantly