Abstract
A 28-d experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of fumonisin B1 (FB1) on hematological and serum biochemical parameters of young laying Japanese quail fed fumonisin contaminated rations. To this end, 128 7-wk-old birds were randomly distributed into four experimental groups (32 birds per group) and fed rations containing 0 (control), 10, 50 or 250mg FB1/kg feed. Each treatment consisted of four replicates of eight quail. At the end of the trial, blood samples from 12 birds per treatment were collected and submitted to analysis. Compared with controls, quail fed 250mg FB1/kg for 28 days had reduced (P<0.05) red blood cell counts and hematocrit values. No differences (P>0.05) were found among leukocyte counts obtained in control birds and FB1-treated groups, and a lower percentage of lymphocytes (P<0.05) was observed in birds fed 50 and 250mg FB1/kg. Serum protein, albumin, γ glutamyl transferase and uric acid were similar (P>0.05) among the treatments studied. Aspartate aminotransferase concentrations were higher (P<0.05) for birds receiving 10, 50 and 250mg AFB1/kg, when compared to the control group. Results indicated that FB1 at levels≥10mg/kg is toxic in young laying quail, emphasizing the importance of controlling fumonisin contamination of quail rations.
