Animal Sciences Commons^™

Antioxidants Protect Turkeys Against Toxicity Of Aflatoxin, Roger A. Coulombe Jr.

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Toxins stemming from mold in feed grains are unavoidable in poultry production. "Mycotoxins" such as aflatoxin B (AFB1) are among the most potent liver-damaging toxins known. AFB1 is also a probable human carcinogen. Poultry are the most sensitive of all farm animals to the toxic effects of even small amounts of AFB1. Although poultry don’t generally live long enough to develop cancers, AFB1-related diseases adversely affect their health. This aflatoxin can cause slowing of growth and decreased resistance to microbial pathogens that make poultry ill. Because these toxins are so pervasive in feed grains, eliminating them has proved either impractical …