An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of polysorbate-80 (PS-80) on liver and kidney function in broiler chicken using 120 one-day-old Cobb 500 chicks. The birds were randomly divided into 6 groups, of 20 birds each (as one replicate) and then allocated to 1 of 6 floor pens (90×180 cm) at the stocking density of 0.08 m2/ bird in a concrete floor, cross ventilated house. All the birds received the same corn and soybean meal based starter (1 to 21 days) and grower (15 to 28 days) diets for ad libitum consumption. The birds in 3 pens continually received water supplemented with either 0 (control) or 3500 ppm PS-80 throughout the experiment. Live weight gain as well as, feed conversion ratio were significantly suppressed in response to supplementation of drinking water with 3500 ppm PS-80 (P<0.05). Mean liver weight and liver pH did not significantly change, for the birds received treated water compared to those grown on normal water (P>0.05). No alteration in concentration of GPT, GOT, Urea, uric acid and creatinine in blood serum were observed in the chicks receiving PS-80-supplemented water as compared to control group (P>0.05). The PS-80 treated water resulted in increased levels of serum ALP (P<0.05). Based on these findings, persistent exposure of broiler chicks to 3500 ppm PS-80 through drinking water has a negative impact on juvenile growth performance in chicks. No indication found that such discouraging impact is caused by liver or kidney dysfunction.
