Effects of feeding corn naturally contaminated with aflatoxin on growth performance, apparent ileal digestibility, serum hormones levels and gene expression of Na(+), K(+)-ATPase in ducklings

OBJECTIVE: A 14-d trial was conducted to determine the effects of feeding corn naturally contaminated with aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) on growth performance, apparent ileal digestibility, serum hormones levels and gene expression of Na(+), K(+)-ATPase in ducklings. METHODS: A total of 704 ducklings were blocked on the basis of sex and body weight (BW), and then allocated randomly to one of the following two treatments: i) CON, basal diet and ii) AFB(1), diets with 100% of normal corn replaced with AFB(1) contaminated corn. There were 22 pens per treatment and 16 birds per pen. The concentration of AFB(1) was 195.4 and 124.35 μg/kg in the contaminated corn and AFB(1) diet, respectively. RESULTS: The AFB(1) decreased average daily gain, average daily feed intake, d 7 BW, final BW in the whole trial, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) during d 8 to 14 and d 1 to 14 by 10% to 47% (p<0.05), while FCR during d 1 to 7 was increased (p<0.05). AFB(1) did not affect mortality to 7 d of age, and then increased to 5.8% from 8 to 14 d of age (p<0.01). Apparent ileal gross energy digestibility was reduced by AFB(1), whereas apparent ileal digestibility of dry matter, nitrogen, and amino acid was improved (p<0.01). Feeding AFB(1) diets increased serum concentration of leptin and insulin-like growth factors-1 (IGF-1) (p<0.05), but had no effect on neuropeptide Y, ghrelin, cholecystokinin-8 or insulin (p>0.05). Dietary treatments did not influence relative expression of jejunal Na(+), K(+)-ATPase gene (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Taken together, feeding corn naturally contaminated with AFB(1) reduced growth performance, improved apparent ileal digestibility, and affected serum leptin and IGF-1 in ducklings from d 1 to 14.