EVALUATION OF HUMIC ACID AS AN AFLATOXIN BINDER IN BROILER CHICKENS

The efficacy of humic acid (HA) as an aflatoxin (AF) binder in broiler chickens exposed to aflatoxin-contaminated feed from 1 to 42 days of age was assessed. A total of 200 birds were assigned to 20 pens, with 10 birds per pen. The following treatments (T) were applied: T1: basal diet (B); T2: B + AFB 1 (100 mu g/kg); T3: B + AFB 1 (100 mu g/kg) + HA (0.1%); T4 : B + AFB1 (100 mu g/kg) + HA (0.2%); T5 : B + AFB1 (100 mu g/kg) + HA (0.3%). Each treatment consisted of 4 replicates. Oxihumate was effective in diminishing the adverse effects caused by aflatoxin on body weight (BW) of broilers (P<0.05). Humic acid also showed protective effects against liver damage and some of the hematological and serum biochemical changes associated with aflatoxin toxicity (P<0.05). The supplementation of HA also enhanced the humoral immunity by counteracting the aflatoxin contamination. Results indicated that HA could alleviate some of the toxic effects of aflatoxin in growing broilers. Humic acid (0.1 to 0.3%) might, therefore, prove to be beneficial in the management of aflatoxin-contaminated feedstuffs for poultry when used in combination with other mycotoxin management practices.