Pathological and biochemical studies on intoxication with dietary heliotropium circinatim in broilers

The aim of this study was to examine pathological and biochemical changes in broilers due to dietary consumption of Heliotropium circinatum at different proportions and periods. For this purpose; a total of 260 zero day old chicks were divided into three experimental groups (Long term, Short term and Hourly term) following the feeding with control group rations for 10 days.In the long term experiment, 80 chicks were divided into four groups, each group containing 20 chicks. They were fed with rations containing 0 (control) and 1, 3, 5 % Heliotropium circinatum (test groups) for 6 weeks. In all the test groups, the mean survival time, feed consumption and weight gain values were decreased depending on dose of the plant. In clinical examination, anorexia, weakening, decreasing in feed consumption, stretching and dropping of the abdomen were observed. Hepatic atrophy and fibrosis, dilatation of gall bladder and ascites were the main prominent macroscopical findings. Microscopically; hepatocellular necrosis and degeneration, megalocytosis, periportal, periaciner and midzonal fibrosis, veno-occlusion, asinus formations were detected in liver. Extrahepatic changes were edema, periarteriolar fibrosis, increase on the bronchoalveolary smooth muscles and chondroid metaplasia in lungs, tubular necrosis, intersititial nephritis in kidneys and myocardial degeneration. Biochemically, changes were detected in enzyme activities of GGT, ALP and ALT. The evaluation made with PCNA staining revealed that hepatic mitotic index was supressed in all test groups when compared with the control group.In the short term experiment, 90 chicks were divided into three groups, and they were fed with rations containing 0 (control) and 10, 20 % Heliotropium circinatum (test groups) for five days. Clinically, anorexia, depression, roughness in hair coat were observed in the test groups. Macroscopically, hemorrhagic necrosis in liver, muscular hemorrhagia, dilatation and congestion of proventriculus were the main prominent findings. Microscopically, massive hemorrhagic necrosis was the most remarkable finding in the liver. Extrahepatic pathological findings were congestion and perivascular edema in lungs; tubular necrosis and degeneration in kidneys, degeneration, edema and hemorrhagia in myocardium. In the PCNA staining, no differences were observed between the control and test groups in terms of hepatic mitotic index.In the hourly experiment, 90 chicks were divided into three groups and they were fed with rations containing 0 (control) and 10, 20 % Heliotropium circinatum (test groups). They were decapitated on the 6th, 12 th, 24 th, 36 th, 48 th and 60 th hours. Both of the test groups exhibited macroscopic and microscopic changes similar to the short term test groups depending on the time. Biochemically, beginning from certain hours, differences were detected in levels of albumin, ALT, AST, ALP and LDH.It was concluded that contamination of broiler feeds with the certain proportions of Heliotropium circinatum can cause significant economical losses.Key Words: Biochemical findings, Broiler, Heliotropium circinatum, pathological findings, Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids.