Evaluating the Effects of Including Vitamin C and Parquetina nigrescens Leaf Powder in the Diets of Broiler Chicks Exposed to Aflatoxin B1
Keywords:
ascorbic acid, botanicals, feed supplements, mycotoxins , poultryAbstract
In this study, we evaluated the effects of dietary vitamin C and Parquetina nigrescens leaf powder (PLP) in broiler chicks exposed to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). The treatments consisted of CONT (receiving a diet without AFB1 contamination and without PLP supplementation); AFLB (fed a diet containing 0.2 mg of AFB1 per kg of feed); AFVC (fed a diet containing 0.2 mg of AFB1 per kg of feed along with 200 mg of vitamin C per kg of feed); and AFLP (fed a diet containing 0.2 mg of AFB1 per kg of feed along with 500 mg of PLP per kg of feed). Our findings demonstrate the rich bioactive profile of PLP, including significant antioxidant capacity and various beneficial compounds. When it comes to broiler chicken performance, we observed that the groups supplemented with vitamin C and PLP (AFVC and AFLP) outperformed those with AFB1 alone (AFLB). These supplemented groups exhibited improved body weight gain, feed intake, and reduced mortality rates, suggesting the potential of these natural additives to counteract mycotoxin challenges in poultry production, especially in tropical conditions. Moreover, our results indicated that vitamin C and PLP supplementation ameliorated the adverse effects of AFB1 contamination on dressing percentage and liver weight. Notably, Haematological parameters were significantly impacted by AFB1 exposure, with lower values in the AFLB group, while serum chemistry indices reflected liver and kidney dysfunction. In contrast, supplemented groups showed improved profiles. Overall, our study highlights the potential of PLP, and vitamin C dietary supplementation in enhancing poultry health and production under aflatoxin-B1 exposure, contributing to sustainable poultry farming strategies.
References
Abdulrazzaq, A. M., Badr, M., Gammoh, O., Abu Khalil, A. A., Ghanim, B. Y., Alhussainy, T. M., & Qinna, N. A. (2019). Hepatoprotective actions of ascorbic acid, alpha lipoic acid and silymarin or their combination against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania), 55(5), 181. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina55050181
Adase, E., Ankutse, P., Kumadoh, D., Archer, M. A., Kyene, M. O., Yeboah, G. N., & Asamoah Agyare, D. O. (2022). A review of Parquetina nigrescens (Afzel.) Bullock, a plant for traditional medicine: Phytochemical and pharmacological properties. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (eCAM), 2022, 6076707. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/6076707
Adeniyi, S. A., Orjiekwe, C. I., & Ehiagbonare, J. E. (2009). Determination of alkaloids and oxalates in some selected food samples in Nigeria. African Journal of Biotechnology, 8(1), 110–112.
Akinrinmade, F. J., Akinrinde, A. S., Soyemi, O. O., & Oyagbemi, A. A. (2016). Antioxidant potential of the methanol extract of Parquetina nigrescens mediates protection against intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats. Journal of Dietary Supplements, 13(4), 420–432. https://doi.org/10.3109/19390211.2015.1103828
Alabi, O. A., Atanda, H. C., & Olumurewa, J. A. V. (2022). Cytogenotoxicity of the aqueous extract of Parquetina nigrescens leaf using Allium cepa assay. Protoplasma, 259(6), 1417–1425. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-022-01741-6
Alameri, M. M., Kong, A. S., Aljaafari, M. N., Ali, H. A., Eid, K., Sallagi, M. A., Cheng, W. H., Abushelaibi, A., Lim, S. E., Loh, J. Y., & Lai, K. S. (2023). Aflatoxin contamination: An overview on health issues, detection and management strategies. Toxins, 15(4), 246. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins15040246
Alayash, A. I. (2022). Hemoglobin oxidation reactions in stored blood. Antioxidants, 11(4), 747. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox11040747
Al-Naimi, M. S., Rasheed, H. A., Hussien, N. R., Al-Kuraishy, H. M., & Al-Gareeb, A. I. (2019). Nephrotoxicity: Role and significance of renal biomarkers in the early detection of acute renal injury. Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology & Research, 10(3), 95–99. https://doi.org/10.4103/japtr.JAPTR_336_18
AOAC. (2010). Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (18th ed.). Washington, DC.
Ayala, A., Muñoz, M. F., & Argüelles, S. (2014). Lipid peroxidation: Production, metabolism, and signaling mechanisms of malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2014, 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/360438
Bajpai, V. K., Park, Y., & Agrawal, P. (2015). Studies on phytochemical analysis, antioxidant and lipid peroxidation inhibitory effects of a medicinal plant, Coleus forskohlii. Frontiers of Life Science, 8(2), 139–147.
Benkerroum, N. (2020). Chronic and acute toxicities of aflatoxins: Mechanisms of action. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(2), 423. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17020423
Benzie, I. F., & Strain, J. J. (1996). The ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) as a measure of “antioxidant power”: The FRAP assay. Analytical Biochemistry, 239, 70–76. https://doi.org/10.1006/abio.1996.0292
Biswas, A., Dey, S., Li, D., Yiu, L., Zhang, J., Huang, S., Pan, G., & Deng, Y. (2020). Comparison of phytochemical profile, mineral content, and in vitro antioxidant activities of Corchorus capsularis and Corchorus olitorius leaf extracts from different populations. Journal of Food Quality, 9, 2931097.
Boudergue, C., Burel, C., Dragacci, S., Favrot, M. C., Fremy, J. M., Massimi, C., Prigent, P., Debongnie, P., Pussemier, L., Boudra, H., Morgavi, D., Oswald, I., Perez, A., & Avantaggiato, G. (2009). Review of mycotoxin-detoxifying agents used as feed additives: Mode of action, efficacy and feed/food safety. EFSA Supporting Publication, 6(9), EN-22, 192. https://doi.org/10.2903/sp.efsa.2009.EN-22
Cotoraci, C., Ciceu, A., Sasu, A., & Hermenean, A. (2021). Natural antioxidants in anemia treatment. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(4), 1883. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22041883
Daramola, O. O., Oyeyemi, W. A. O., Akinola, A. O. A., & Raji, Y. R. (2022). Haematoprotective and hepatoprotective effects of methanolic leaf extract of Parquetina nigrescens on arsenic trioxide-induced toxicity in male Wistar rats. Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences, 37(2), 235–246. https://doi.org/10.54548/njps.v37i2.11
Dennis, J. M., & Witting, P. K. (2017). Protective role for antioxidants in acute kidney disease. Nutrients, 9(7), 718. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9070718
Dönmez, N., Dönmez, H. H., Keskin, E., & Kisadere, İ. (2012). Effects of aflatoxin on some haematological parameters and protective effectiveness of esterified glucomannan in Merino rams. The Scientific World Journal, 342468. https://doi.org/10.1100/2012/342468
Elwan, H., Xie, C., Miao, L. P., Dong, X., Zou, X. T., Mohany, M., Ahmed, M. M., Al-Rejaie, S. S., & Elnesr, S. S. (2021). Methionine alleviates aflatoxin B1-induced broiler chick embryotoxicity through inhibition of caspase-dependent apoptosis and enhancement of cellular antioxidant status. Poultry Science, 100(8), 101103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2021.101103
Gbore, F. A., Adu, O. A., & Ewuola, E. O. (2016). Protective role of supplemental vitamin E on brain acetylcholinesterase activities of rabbits fed diets contaminated with fumonisin B1. European Journal of Biological Research, 6(2), 127–134.
Gowda, S., Desai, P. B., Kulkarni, S. S., Hull, V. V., Math, A. A., & Vernekar, S. N. (2010). Markers of renal function tests. North American Journal of Medical Sciences, 2(4), 170–173.
He, J., Wu, Z. Y., Zhang, S., Zhou, Y., Zhao, F., Peng, Z. Q., & Hu, Z. W. (2014). Optimisation of microwave-assisted extraction of tea saponin and its application on cleaning of historic silks. Journal of Surfactants and Detergents, 17(5), 919–928.
He, Z., Li, X., Yang, H., Wu, P., Wang, S., Cao, D., Guo, X., Xu, Z., Gao, J., Zhang, W., & Luo, X. (2021). Effects of oral vitamin C supplementation on liver health and associated parameters in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized clinical trial. Frontiers in Nutrition, 8, 745609. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.745609
Hou, L., Qiu, H., Li, A., Dong, J., Zhu, L., Liu, G., & Chen, F. (2022). Effects of aflatoxin B1 on growth performance, antioxidant status, immune response, and pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression in ISA chicks. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 9, 993039. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2022.993039
Chambial, S., Dwivedi, S., Shukla, K. K., John, P. J., & Sharma, P. (2013). Vitamin C in disease prevention and cure: An overview. Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry, 28(4), 314–328. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-013-0375-3
Chen, Z., Zhang, F., Jiang, L., Chen, Z., & Sun, H. (2021). Toxic effects of mycotoxin fumonisin B1 at six different doses on female BALB/c mice. Toxins, 14(1), 21. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins14010021
Cheng, K., Niu, J., Zheng, X., Qiao, Y., Zhang, J., Guo, R., Dong, G., Song, Z., Huang, J., Wang, J., & Zhang, Y. (2023). Aflatoxin B1-exposure-induced hepatic injury could be alleviated by polydatin through reducing oxidative stress, inhibiting inflammation and improving mitophagy. Toxics, 11(4), 309. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11040309
Chu, Y. J., Yang, H. I., Wu, H. C., Liu, J., Wang, L. Y., Lu, S. N., Lee, M. H., Jen, C. L., You, S. L., Santella, R. M., & Chen, C. J. (2017). Aflatoxin B1 exposure increases the risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis B virus carriers. International Journal of Cancer, 141(4), 711–720. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.30782
Jainonthee, C., Chaisowwong, W., Ngamsanga, P., Meeyam, T., Sampedro, F., Wells, S. J., & Pichpol, D. (2024). Exploring the influence of slaughterhouse type and slaughtering steps on Campylobacter jejuni contamination in chicken meat: A cluster analysis approach. Heliyon, 10(12), e32345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32345
Jose, H., & Salazar, J. H. (2014). Overview of urea and creatinine. Laboratory Medicine, 45(1), e19–e20. https://doi.org/10.1309/LM920SBNZPJRJGUT
Katavetin, P., Tungsanga, K., Eiam-Ong, S., & Nangaku, M. (2007). Antioxidative effects of erythropoietin. Kidney International Supplement, 107, S10–S15. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ki.5002482
Kolawole, O., Siri-Anusornsak, W., Petchkongkaw, A., Meneely, J., & Elliott, C. (2022). The efficacy of additives for the mitigation of aflatoxins in animal feed: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Toxins, 14(10), 707. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins14100707
Lobo, V., Patil, A., Phatak, A., & Chandra, N. (2010). Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: Impact on human health. Pharmacognosy Reviews, 4(8), 118–126. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-7847.70902
Ma, J., Liu, Y., Guo, Y., Ma, Q., Ji, C., & Zhao, L. (2021). Transcriptional profiling of aflatoxin B1-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory response in macrophages. Toxins, 13(6), 401. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13060401
Monson, M. S., Coulombe, R. A., & Reed, K. M. (2015). Aflatoxicosis: Lessons from toxicity and responses to aflatoxin B1 in poultry. Agriculture, 5(3), 742–777. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture5030742
Murugesan, G. R., Ledoux, D. R., Naehrer, K., Berthiller, F., Applegate, T. J., Grenier, B., Phillips, T. D., & Schatzmayr, G. (2022). Prevalence and effects of mycotoxins on poultry health and performance, and recent development in mycotoxin counteracting strategies. Poultry Science, 94(6), 1298–1315. https://doi.org/10.3382/ps/pev075
Mutuli, G. P., Mbuge, D. O., & Gitau, A. N. (2022). Effect of humidity on aflatoxin contamination for selected African leafy vegetables. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 59(7), 2724–2730. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-021-05293-0
Olarotimi, J. O., Gbore, F. A., Adu, O. A., Oloruntola, O. D., & Jimoh, O. A. (2023). Ameliorative effects of Sida acuta and vitamin C on serum DNA damage, pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in roosters fed aflatoxin B1-contaminated diets. Toxicon, 236, 107330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107330
Oloruntola, O. D. (2024). Red chili powder dietary supplementation regularized the performance, hematobiochemical indices, oxidative status, and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine of aflatoxin B1-exposed broiler chickens. Translational Animal Science, 8, txae006. https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txae006
Oloruntola, O. D., Adeyeye, S. A., Abdulkadir, M. T., Ayodele, S. O., Oloruntola, D. A., Agbede, J. O., Oladebeye, F. S., & Adeyeye, E. O. (2024). Investigating the effects of dietary supplementation with Moringa leaf powder and vitamin C in aflatoxin B1-exposed broilers. Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics, 125(1), 127–137. https://doi.org/10.17170/kobra-2022hgr3
Oloruntola, O. D., Ayodele, S. O., Oloruntola, D. A., Olarotimi, O. J., Falowo, A. B., Akinduro, V. O., Gbore, F. A., Adu, O. A., & Agbede, J. O. (2024). Dietary supplementation of Capsicum powder affects the growth, immunoglobulins, pro-inflammatory cytokines, adipokines, meat, and liver histology of aflatoxin B1-exposed broiler chickens. Toxicon, 240, 107640. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2024.107640
Oloruntola, O. D., Ayodele, S. O., Omoniyi, I. S., Adeyeye, S. A., & Adegbeye, M. J. (2022). The effect of dietary supplementation of Mucuna leaf meal on the growth performance, blood parameters, and carcass quality of broilers. Acta Scientiarum, 44, e55362. http://periodicos.uem.br/ojs
Oloruntola, O. D., Oluwaniyi, F. S., Adeyeye, S. A., Falowo, A. B., Jimoh, O. A., Olarotimi, O. J., Oloruntola, D. A., Osowe, C. O., & Gbore, F. A. (2025). Aqueous Vernonia amygdalina leaf extract in drinking water mitigates aflatoxin B1 toxicity in broilers: Effects on performance, biomarker analysis, and liver histology. Mycotoxin Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12550-025-00583-4
Pu, J., Yuan, Q., Yan, H., Tian, G., Chen, D., He, J., Zheng, P., Yu, J., Mao, X., Huang, Z., Luo, J., Luo, Y., & Yu, B. (2021). Effects of chronic exposure to low levels of dietary aflatoxin B1 on growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility and intestinal health in pigs. Animals, 11(2), 336. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020336
Rotimi, O. A., Rotimi, S. O., Goodrich, J. M., Adelani, I. B., Agbonihale, E., & Talabi, G. (2019). Time-course effects of acute aflatoxin B1 exposure on hepatic mitochondrial lipids and oxidative stress in rats. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 10, 467. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2019.00467
Sahoo, P. K., & Mukherjee, S. C. (2003). Immunomodulation by dietary vitamin C in healthy and aflatoxin B1-induced immunocompromised rohu (Labeo rohita). Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 26(1), 65–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0147-9571(01)00038-8
Sarker, M. T., Wan, X., Yang, H., & Wang, Z. (2021). Dietary lycopene supplementation could alleviate aflatoxin B1-induced intestinal damage through improving immune function and antioxidant capacity in broilers. Animals, 11(11), 3165. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11113165
Shi, J., Arunasalam, K., Yeung, D., Kakuda, Y., Mittal, G., & Jiang, Y. (2004). Saponins from edible legumes: Chemistry, processing, and health benefits. Journal of Medicinal Food, 7(1), 67–78. https://doi.org/10.1089/109662004322984734
Soares, S., Brandão, E., Guerreiro, C., Soares, S., Mateus, N., & De Freitas, V. (2020). Tannins in food: Insights into the molecular perception of astringency and bitter taste. Molecules, 25(11), 2590. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25112590
Stefanović, D., Marinković, D., Trailović, S., Vasiljević, M., Farkaš, H., Raj, J., Tolimir, N., Radulović, S., Nešić, V., Trailović, J. N., & Petrujkić, B. (2023). Evaluation of effectiveness of a novel multicomponent mycotoxin detoxification agent in the presence of AFB1 and T-2 toxin on broiler chicks. Microorganisms, 11(3), 574. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11030574
Strashok, L. A., Buznytska, O. V., & Meshkova, O. M. (2020). Indicators of lipid metabolism disorders in the blood serum of adolescents with metabolic syndrome. Ukrainian Biochemical Journal, 92(6), 137–142. https://doi.org/10.15407/ubj92.06.137
Surana, A. R., Kumbhare, M. R., & Wagh, R. D. (2016). Estimation of total phenolic and total flavonoid content and assessment of in vitro antioxidant activity of extracts of Hamelia patens Jacq. stems. Research Journal of Phytochemistry, 10(2), 67–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.3923/rjphyto.2016.67.74
Thawabteh, A., Juma, S., Bader, M., Karaman, D., Scrano, L., Bufo, S. A., & Karaman, R. (2019). The biological activity of natural alkaloids against herbivores, cancerous cells and pathogens. Toxins, 11(11), 656. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins11110656
Tzounakas, V. L., Anastasiadi, A. T., Arvaniti, V.-Z., Lelli, V., Fanelli, G., Paronis, E. C., Apostolidou, A. C., Balafas, E. G., Kostomitsopoulos, N. G., Papageorgiou, E. G., Papassideri, I. S., Stamoulis, K., Kriebardis, A. G., Rinalducci, S., & Antonelou, M. H. (2022). Supplementation with uric and ascorbic acid protects stored red blood cells through enhancement of non-enzymatic antioxidant activity and metabolic rewiring. Redox Biology, 57, 102477. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2022.102477
Ullah, A., Munir, S., Badshah, S. L., Khan, N., Ghani, L., Poulson, B. G., Emwas, A. H., & Jaremko, M. (2020). Important flavonoids and their role as therapeutic agents. Molecules, 25(22), 5243. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25225243
Xi, W., Lu, J., Qun, J., & Jiao, B. (2017). Characterization of phenolic profile and antioxidant capacity of different fruit parts from lemon (Citrus limon Burm.) cultivars. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 54(5), 1108–1118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-017-2544-5
Yang, R. Z., Park, S., Reagan, W. J., Goldstein, R., Zhong, S., Lawton, M., Rajamohan, F., Qian, K., Liu, L., & Gong, D. W. (2009). Alanine aminotransferase isoenzymes: Molecular cloning and quantitative analysis of tissue expression in rats and serum elevation in liver toxicity. Hepatology, 49(2), 598–607. https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.22657
Zou, Y., Liu, S. B., Zhang, Q., & Tan, H. Z. (2023). Effects of aflatoxin B1 on growth performance, carcass traits, organ index, blood biochemistry and oxidative status in Chinese yellow chickens. Journal of Veterinary Medical Science, 85(9), 1015–1022. https://doi.org/10.1292/jvms.23-0130
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Olugbenga David Oloruntola, Samuel Adebowale Adeyeye, Deborah Adebukola Oloruntola, Emmanuel Oluwafemi Adeyeye
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
