Effect of Aflatoxin B1 on
Moulard Duck’s
Natural Immunity
I Valtchev1, T Koynarski2,
L Sotirov2*, Y Nikolov1 and P Petkov1
1Department
of Internal Non-infectious Diseases; 2Department
of Animal Husbandry, Genetics unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria *Corresponding author:
sotirovl@yahoo.com
Abstract
The absence of studies for the impact of
aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on natural immunity in ducks, motivated us to investigate
its influence on the concentrations of the blood serum lysozyme and alternative
pathway of complement activation among Moulard ducks. For the purpose of the
study two separate experiments were conducted. The first one was among 40 duck
babies divided into four groups: control group (not treated); – fodder was not
supplemented with aflatoxin B1; group two- fodder + 0.5 mg/kg aflatoxin B1;
group three – fodder + 0.8 mg/kg aflatoxin B1 and group four – fodder + 0.5
mg/kg aflatoxin B1 + 2 g/kg fodder Mycotox NG. The second experiment was also
conducted by the same way but the blood was bled on the 50th day. The
obtained results showed that the period of treatment has significant effect to
the blood serum lysozyme concentrations. Lysozyme concentration in group second
decreased from 4.42 to 2.16 mg/L and in group three from 3.92 to 2.70 mg/L.
Results showed influence of the toxin also on the alternative pathway of
complement activation. When applied in low doses and shorter periods it has
immune stimulation effect, while applied in higher doses and longer periods it
suppresses the alternative pathway of complement activation (APCA). Complement
activity was decreased from 727.99 CH50 to 625.91 CH50 in second group and from
816.74 CH50 to 601.61 CH50 in group three. Mycotox NG has immune stimulation
effect when applied for 15 days but in all other experimental groups it did not
show such effect.
Key words:
Aflatoxin B1,
Complement system,
Lysozyme, Mycotoxin NG