Effects of Sodium Bentonite in Male Balouchi Sheep Fed Diet Contaminated by Diazinon

Most of animal feeds are grown using pesticides. Chemical control of weeds, insects and other pests has increased agricultural productivity. However, these economic benefits are not without risks to animal health and environmental damage. Feed and fodder offered to animals are often contaminated with pesticide residues (Raikwar and Nag, 2003) and after feeding, these residues assimilated into the body systems of the animals (Prasad and Chhabra, 2001). The occurrence of pesticides residues in milk of ruminants is a matter of public health concern, since milk and dairy products are widely consumed by infants, children and adults throughout the world. Similarly, the toxins in the water and feed transfer to animal products and then these contaminated products are eaten by humans (Ashraf et al. 2010), theThe remnants of pesticides in livestock feeds have been increased by excessive using of these pesticides so as to meet extreme demands for more feeds. Finding a new strategy for reducing pesticides negative effects is absolutely necessary. Therefore, evaluation of the effects of sodium bentonite on blood parameters, feed digestibility and rumen fermentation parameters in sheep fed diets contaminated by diazinon, an organophosphate pesticide, was the aim of this study. Eight canulated male Balouchi sheep (40±2 kg) assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement in four 21-day-period. Treatments were: 1) control group, 2) control + 4% sodium bentonite, 3) control + 21 ppm diazinon and 4) control + 4% sodium bentonite + 21 ppm diazinon. Dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) digestibility were not affected by treatments. Sodium bentonite decreased pH variation after feeding. Ammonia nitrogen of rumen liquor was the same among treatments before feeding however 3 and 6 hours after feeding, amount of ammonia nitrogen was significantly higher in groups fed pesticide contaminated diets (P<0.05). Hemoglobin, white blood cells and hematocrit were not affected by treatments but red blood cells and acetylcholinesterase activity were significantly reduced in groups fed pesticide contaminated diets (P<0.05). Results of present study showed that using sodium bentonite as a binder was effective to reduce negative effects of diazinon on pH variation and acetylcholinesterase activity and it has no effect on hemoglobin, white blood cells, hematocrit and nutrient digestibility. Therefore, sodium bentonite can be used as an effective diazinon binder in sheep diet.