Effects of tannic acid on growth performance, relative organ weight, antioxidative status, and intestinal histomorphology in broilers exposed to aflatoxin B1

A total of 480 one-day-old AA broiler chicks were randomly allocated to one of four treatments in a 2 x 2 factorial to investigate the effects of tannic acid (TA) on growth performance, relative organ weight, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal health in broilers dietary exposed to aflatoxin B-1 (AFB(1)). Treatments were as follows: (1) CON, control diet; (2) TA, CON + 250 mg/kg TA; (3) AFB(1), CON + 500 mu g/kg AFB(1); and (4) TA+AFB(1), CON + 250 mg/kg TA + 500 mu g/kg AFB(1). There were 10 replicate pens with 12 broilers per replicate. Dietary AFB(1) challenge increased the feed conversion ratio during days 1 to 21 (P < 0.05). The TA in the diet did not show significant effects on the growth performance of broilers during the whole experiment period (P > 0.05). The liver and kidney relative weight was increased in the AF challenge groups compared with the CON (P < 0.05). The addition of TA could alleviate the relative weight increase of liver and kidney caused by AFB(1) (P < 0.05). Broilers fed the AFB(1) diets had lower activity of glutathione peroxidase, catalase, total superoxide dismutase, S-transferase, and total antioxidant capacity in plasma, liver and jejunum, and greater malondialdehyde content (P < 0.05). Dietary supplemented with 250 mg/kg TA increased the activities of antioxidative enzymes, and decreased malondialdehyde content (P < 0.05). In addition, AFB(1) significantly reduced the villus height and crypt depth ratio in the ileum on day 42 (P < 0.05). In conclusion, supplementation with 250 mg/kg TA could partially protect the antioxidant capacity and prevent the enlargement of liver in broilers dietary challenged with 500 mu g/kg AFB(1).