Performance and Gut Morphometry of Broiler Fed Maize Based Diets Supplemented with Charcoal and Honey as Anti-aflatoxin

The study was conducted to assess The effect of charcoal and honey on the zoo technical performance and gut morphometry of broiler birds fed naturally aflatoxins contaminated maize based diets in a comparative study was carried out. In a completely randomised design, 240 one-week old Arbor Acre broilers were distributed randomly to six dietary treatments with four replicates of ten birds per replicate. The treatments were as follows: T1= Normal diets (diet formulated with normal maize) (positive control, with 15 ppb AF); T2= Rejected maize diets (negative control, with 32 ppb AF); T3=Positive control plus 2% charcoal; T4=Rejected maize diets plus 2% charcoal; T5=Positive control plus 2% honey; T6=Rejected maize diet plus 2% honey. Feeding and provision of water were supplied ad-libitum. On the 42th day, nine birds per treatments were slaughtered for gut morphometric attributes (villus height, crypt depth, villus width and villus height to crypt depth ratio) of duodenum, jejunum and ileum part of the gut. The zoo technical performance of broiler in the experiment were not significantly different (P<0.05) from all the treatments despite having different feed conversion ratio. Results from the gut morphology showed that the least villus height of birds from duodenum was recorded on AFL (180 x 102 mm) an indication of effect of aflatoxin. On the ileum, AFL (138 x 102 mm), CTL-Ho (118 x 102 mm) and AFL-Ho (116 x 102 mm) of villus height of birds were not significantly (P<0.05) different from each other. However, the histopathology of liver, kidney and bursa of fabricius showed healing power of honey as no visual lesions was seen on the slides of the organs prepared. In conclusion, 2% charcoal–to-aflatoxins-contaminated feed was more effective than 2% honey.