The aim of this study was to determine the binding capacity of a commercial mycotoxin binder (BINDER) for aflatoxin B1 (AF) and the efficacy of the binder to reduce the adverse effects of AF on broilers fed AF. Two hundred and Forty 1-d-old unsexed broilers (Ross 308) were maintained in chick batteries and allowed ad libitum access to feed and water. A completely randomized design was used with 3 replicate pens of 20 chicks assigned to each of 5 dietary treatments from hatch to 42 d. Dietary treatments included the following: A) control (CON), with no binder or AF, B) AF supplemented at the rate of 0.6ppm, C) 0.2% binder, and D) 0.6ppm AF supplemented with 0.2% binder. On d 42, 8 chicks from each treatment were killed by cervical dislocation and samples of visceral organ weight, cholesterol, HDL, LDL and mortality percentage were recorded. Results showed that weights of Thymus and Kidney had not been affected and Spleen, Liver and Pancreas and cholesterol, HDL and LDL were affected by incorporation of AF in the diet. The addition of binder to the affected parameters could restore some of these adverse effects significantly. Incorporation of only binder had reached the mortality into zero.
