Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
TURKISH JOURNAL OF VETERINARY & ANIMAL SCIENCES, cilt.26, sa.6, ss.1341-1344, 2002 (SCI-Expanded)
The effect of AFB1 in feed on the liver and serum vitamin A and beta-carotene levels and the ability of the liver to stor vitamin A in broiler chicks were investigated. Twenty day-old Ross broiler chicks were randomly allocated into 4 groups with 5 each in the control group, group I, group II, and group III. The chicks of the control group and group I were fed ad libitum on broiler chick growing feed. The chicks of group II and group III were fed ad libitum on feed with AFB1 (4 ppm/kg) feed. On the seventh day, vitamin A palmitate was administered subcutaneously at 500,000 IU to the chicks of group 1 and III. The experiment was continued for 21 days. On the twenty-first day, blood and liver samples were collected from the chicks. Serum and liver beta-carotene and retinol levels were analysed spectrophotometrically using n-hexane extraction. The significant differences between the values obtained from the analyses were determined using Kruskal Wallis variance analysis. The differences between the groups were analysed using Duncan's test. Serum beta-carotene levels in the control group, group 1, II and Ill were 230 +/-22.1 mug/dl, 169.7 +/- 15.1 mug/dl, 124.7 +/- 55.7 mug/dl, and 107.5 +/- 62.0 mug/dl respectively. There were significant differences in the serum beta-carotene levels between the groups (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in serum retinol and liver β-carotene levels between the groups. Significant differences in the liver retinol levels were found between the groups (p < 0.001).