In the present study, the individual and combined effects of aflatoxin B
1 (AFB
1) and fumonisin B
1 (FB
1) on the quality of quail eggs were investigated. To this end, 288 8-week-old Japanese quail were randomly distributed into six experimental groups (48 birds per group) and fed the following diets for 140 days (five 28-day laying periods) : 1) 0 (control) ; 2) 10mg FB
1/kg ; 3) 50μg AFB
1/kg ; 4) 50μg AFB
1/kg+10mg FB
1/kg ; 5) 200μg AFB
1/kg ; and 6) 200μg AFB
1/kg+10mg FB
1/kg feed. Each treatment consisted of four replicates of twelve quail. Eggs laid in the last day of each 28-d laying period were collected and submitted for individual analysis for specific gravity, Haugh units and percentage shell. Results showed that by the end of the 4
th cycle, average egg weight was lower (
P<0.05) in groups fed 50 or 200μg AFB
1/kg+10mg FB
1/kg combination diets. Specific gravity decreased (
P<0.05) in the group fed 200μg AFB
1/kg+10mg FB
1/kg by the 5
th cycle. Feed intake and Haugh units were not affected (
P> 0.05) by AFB
1 and/or FB
1. Only birds receiving the 200μg AFB
1/kg+10mg FB
1/kg diet had decreased (
P<0.05) percent eggshell by the 4
th cycle. Data indicated that AFB
1 and FB
1 in combination have primarily additive effects on quail egg weight, specific gravity and percent eggshell at the concentrations used.
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