The effects of different Ochratoxin A contaminated starter diets on the performance and some physiological parameters of broiler chicks

The effects of different Ochratoxin A contaminated starter diets on the performance and some physiological parameters of broiler chicks K. Dublecz, A. Bányai, L. Pál, Á. Bartos, Sz. Tóth and L. Wágner, University of Veszprém, H8360 Keszthely , Deák F. u. 16. Hungary. E.mail: [email protected] Abstract Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a secondary metabolite of several species of Aspergillus and Penicillium, produced during storage of grains and means a potential food safety risk factor. In our experiment a control and different OTA contaminated diets (0,05, 0.2, 2 ppm) were fed to broiler chicks in the first ten days of their life. The effect of treatments on growth, relative organ size (bursa of Fabricius, liver, kidney, proventriculus and gizzard, pancreas) energy utilisation and protein digestibility was measured. Ochratoxin A caused a significant enlargement of the kidney, proventriculus and gizzard, pancreas and liver, but declined the relative size of bursa of Fabricius. All diets, containing OTA reduced the body weights of birds. Both energy utilisation and protein digestibility of diets were reduced by the treatments; the effect being most significant in the case of protein digestibility, which was reduced by 50% at 2 ppm of OTA. The results showed that Ochratoxin A has a deleterious effect on young broiler chicks even at low concentration.