Evaluation of the Efficacy of a Commercial Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate to Reduce the Toxicity of T-2 Toxin in Broiler Chicks

Two experiments were conducted to study the efficacy of a low inclusion commercialHSCAS (Myco-Ad) in preventing the deleterious effects of T-2 toxin (T-2) in broilerchicks. Feed in both experiments was experimentally contaminated with synthetic T-2from Sigma Labs, USA. In Experiment 1, 75 1-d-old Arbor Acres straight-run broilersindividually caged were randomly distributed into three dietary treatments with 25replications each. T I was a corn-wheat-soybean meal control diet, T II control + 1 ppmT-2, and T III control + 1 ppm T-2 + 2.5 kg/mtMyco-Ad. At 40 d of age, birds fed 1ppm T-2 contaminated diet showed significant lower body weight, poorer feedconversion, smaller bursa and severe macroscopic oral lesions than chicks fed the controldiet. The addition of Myco-Ad significantly prevented the impaired performance, bursadamage and the severe oral lesions observed in chicks fed T-2. In Experiment 2, 32 5-d-old Ross male chicks were randomly divided into four dietary treatments with 8replications each. T I was a sorghum-soybean meal control diet, T II control + 2.5 kg/mtMyco-Ad, T III control + 1.25 ppm T-2, and T IV control + 1.25 ppm T-2 + 2.5 kg/mtMyco-Ad. Feeding T-2 contaminated diet plus Myco-Ad resulted in statisticallysignificant heavier and more efficient broilers, with substantially reduced gross orallesions and microscopic organs lesions (tongue, gizzard, thymus, bursa, spleen, liver, andkidney) than those fed 1.25 ppm T-2 at 38 d of age. The addition of 2.5 kg/mt of Myco-Ad to chick diets did not show any statistical difference in performance and bone ashcompared to the control diet, demonstrating its lack of nutrients absorption. These resultsindicated that Myco-Ad at 2.5 kg/mt was effective in preventing the toxic effects of T-2in broilers chicks.