The effects of low levels of aflatoxin B1 on health, growth performance and reproductivity in male rabbits

Abstract

[EN] This study investigated the chronic effects of relatively low exposure to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on the growth performance, immune situation and reproduction in male rabbits. Bucks (n=32, 4.82±0.22 kg) were individually assigned to 4 treatments (8 replicates each) using a randomised complete block design. Four diets containing 0, 0.02, 0.05, and 0.1 mg AFB1/kg, were provided to bucks for 8 wk. Growth performance and semen quality were measured. Blood, organ and tissue samples were collected to measure haematological indices, liver function, organ weights and immune parameters. Compared to control, AFB1-contaminated diets reduced body weight and average daily gain (P<0.05), altered certain haematological indices and liver function with decreased monocytes percentage and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, and increased plateletcrit and albumin (P<0.05), slightly impaired reproductive parameters with enhanced ratio of morphologically abnormal sperm cells at early stage and reduced post-stage acrosome integrity, testis weight and serum testosterone concentration (P<0.05), decreased immune function with reduced relative liver weight (%) and tumour necrosis factor-α levels in serum and liver tissue, and increased serum 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine levels (P<0.05). Furthermore, bucks fed diets with relatively high AFB1 (0.05 and 0.1 mg AFB1/kg) had reduced red blood cell and haematocrit (P<0.05) in contrast with the low AFB1 group (0.02 mg AFB1/kg). In conclusion, diets containing 0.05 and 0.1 mg AFB1/kg had negative effects on bucks’ growth performance, haematology, reproductivity and immune function, whereas diet containing 0.02 mg AFB1/kg had only minor effects on the parameters measured.