Inhibitory effects of aluminosilicates on lead acetate toxicity in selected organs of broilers

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of dietary supplements of lead acetate and aluminosilicates on oxidative status in brain, kidney and duodenum of broiler chickens. In this regard, activity of antioxidative enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (GPx), pyrogallol peroxidase (PPx) and lipid peroxidation was determined in examined organs. The experiment was performed with eighty-four broiler chickens of both sexes randomly allotted to four diets including the control group, the Pb group containing 500 mg lead acetate/kg diet, the ATN (Antitoxic nutrient) group with 5 g mixture of aluminosilicates (zeolite and montmorillonite)/kg diet and the Pb + ATN group containing 500 mg lead acetate and 5 g mixture of aluminosilicates/kg diet, in a 3-week feeding experiment. Each of these groups consisted of seven replications with 3 chickens per replication. Results suggest that aluminosilicates alone did not provoke any adverse effects and did not disturb normal biochemical and physiological homeostasis in the broilers. The dietary intake of lead acetate induced oxidative stress and promoted increase in level of malondialdehid (MDA), a lipid peroxidation marker, in all examined organs. The lead intake induced increase in CAT activity in all organs, while it decreased the activity of GPx and PPx in the brain and duodenum but did not affect that in the kidneys. The activity of SOD increased in the kidneys and duodenum but did not significantly change in the brain. The combined data showed that the chickens fed aluminosilicates received significant protection against the effects of lead acetate for most parameters measured which remained at control level.