Interpretive Summary: Effects of Chinese gallnut tannic acid on growth performance, blood parameters, antioxidative status, intestinal histomorphology, and cecal microbial shedding in broilers challenged with aflatoxin B1

By: Zheng Fan Zhang, Yu Xi, Si Tian Wang, Li Yun Zheng, Ya Qi, Shuang Shuang Guo, and Bin Ying Ding

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is well known for its growth retardation, hepatotoxic, immunosuppressive, and other negative effects both in humans and poultry. Plant extracts such as tannic acid (TA) have been demonstrated as effective agents to control AFB1 contamination. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Chinese gallnut TA in preventing aflatoxicosis in broilers. Broilers received one of four treatments: CON, control diet; AF, control diet with AFB1; TA1, AF + 250 mg/kg TA; TA2, AF + 500 mg/kg TA. Although AF did not decrease the growth performance of broilers, 250 and 500 mg/kg TA had greater average daily gain and average daily feed intake than those in the CON and AF. The relative weight of liver and kidney, blood alanine transferase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase activity were increased, and the antioxidant status was depressed in chicks fed the AF diet compared with the CON group. Dietary supplementation with 250 and 500 mg/kg TA ameliorated all the above-mentioned negative effects of AFB1. Moreover, the crypt depth of the jejunum was decreased, and the villus height of the ileum was increased in TA treatments compared with the AF. Conclusively, Chinese gallnut TA could be considered as a potential natural agent for the prevention of AFB1-induced oxidative and intestinal damage of broilers.

Read the full article on the Journal of Animal Science.