Effect of hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicates on aflatoxicosis in broiler chicks.

In three experiments, three different hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicates (HSCAS) were incorporated into chick diets (.5%) containing either 0 or 5.0 (Experiments 1 and 2) or 0 or 2.5 (Experiment 3) mg/kg aflatoxin (AF). Male broiler chicks consumed their respective diets and water ad libitum from 1 to 21 days of age. When compared with controls, body weights in chicks receiving 5.0 mg AF/kg were reduced by 214 g in Experiment 1 and 220 g in Experiment 2. The addition of .5% of the HSCAS compounds significantly diminished the growth inhibitory effects caused by AF by 39 to 68% in Experiment 1, by 46 to 88% in Experiment 2, and by 38 to 90% in Experiment 3. The increases in relative organ weights and the decreases in serum biochemical values caused by AF were significantly diminished to differing degrees by all three of the HSCAS compounds. These data demonstrate that these specific HSCAS compounds can be protective against the effects of AF in young growing broilers and further emphasizes the fact that all silicate-type sorbents are not equal in their ability to protect against aflatoxicosis. It also seems possible to specially process compounds to increase their efficacy for protection against the toxicity of AF.