Bentonite Plus Yeast Cell Wall Fraction Improves the Performance and Health of Broilers under Mycotoxin-challenged Conditions

Mycotoxins are a major problem in the poultry industry causing significant negative effects on animal health, productivity, and the economics of production. Binders such as bentonites are typically added to poultry diets to adsorb mycotoxins in the gastrointestinal tract and protect the birds against the harmful effects of mycotoxins. Bentonites are effective in preventing aflatoxicosis, however, their activity against zearalenone, ochratoxin, and trichothecenes is limited (Bhatti et al., 2018). Under multiple mycotoxin exposure, the use of binders with multimycotoxin adsorption seems to be a more effective solution. Bentonite plus yeast cell wall fraction (TOXO-XL, Trouw Nutrition) is a binder comprising a synergistic blend of smectite clay, glucose biopolymers, and inactive yeast cell wall fractions with a multi-binding capacity towards different mycotoxins.

This study aimed at investigating the effect of Bentonite plus yeast cell wall fraction on broilers’ growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, and antioxidant status under multiple mycotoxin-challenged conditions. One-day-old male broiler chicks (n=450) were allocated to three treatments with 10 pens of 15 birds each. The treatments tested included 1) a negative control (NC, basal diet), 2) a positive control, (PC, as NC + 125 ppb Aflatoxin, 100 ppb Ochratoxin and 100 ppb T-2 toxin), and 3) PC + bentonite plus yeast cell wall fraction (TXL). Broilers were reared on floor pens in an open-sided housing and were given ad libitum access to feed and water throughout the 42-d experimental period. The broilers’ body weight and feed consumption were measured weekly, and the body weight gain (ADG) and FCR were calculated. The mortality was recorded throughout the trial. The concentrations of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) were measured in blood samples collected at d21, while the levels of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured at d42. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure in SAS.

Results indicated that the mycotoxin challenge, compared with the NC, caused a significant decrease in weight gain (-25%) and an increase in FCR (+32%), but did not significantly affect the feed intake. Feeding diets with TXL significantly improved ADG (+16%, 47.58 vs 40.90 g) and FCR (-14.6%, 2.038 vs 2.386) compared to PC. In addition, TXL significantly decreased the concentrations of ALP (24.43 vs 32.26 U/L) and AST (229.5 vs 270.6 U/L) indicating an improvement in liver and kidney functions. Furthermore, TXL significantly enhanced serum SOD (150 vs 126 U/mL) and reduced serum MDA (3.3 vs 3.9 nmol/mL) suggesting an improvement in the antioxidant status of broilers. However, its effect on mortality was not significant. In conclusion, bentonite plus yeast cell wall fraction supplementation in contaminated feed alleviated the adverse effects of multiple mycotoxins on the performance and health of broilers and could be used as an effective solution against mycotoxicosis.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This study was funded by Trouw Nutrition, a Nutreco company.