the effect of detoxification of aflatoxin-contaminated corn grain using thyme aqueous extract on performance and total blood protein of japanese quail

background: in nature, there are herbal extracts, while capable of reducing aflatoxin b1 in agricultural product by different mechanisms, may also act as growth promoters. objectives: in this study, aqueous extract of t. daenensis was evaluated to detoxify contaminated feed with aflatoxin b1 and to determine the effect of growth promoters in japanese quail. methods: to this purpose, at 24 d of age, quails were separated by sex and 80 male quails were randomly divided into experimental units with equal weight and number. the dietary treatments were as follows: 1. basal diet (b), 2. b + afb1 (500 mg/kg of feed), 3. b + aqueous extract of t. daenensis (2000 mg/kg of feed), 4. b + afb1 (500 mg/kg of feed) + aqueous extract of t. daenensis (2000 mg/kg of feed). feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio and serum total protein were determined at day 45. results: the results showed that aflatoxin significantly decreased feed intake, body weight gain and total blood protein but increased fcr (p