Efficacy of hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate and activated charcoal in reducing the toxicity of dietary aflatoxin to mink

Abstract

Mink were fed diets that contained 0, 34, or 102 ppb (micrograms/kg) aflatoxins with or without 0.5% hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS) and/or 1.0% activated charcoal (AC) for 77 days. Consumption of the diet that contained 34 ppb aflatoxins was lethal to 20% of the mink, while 102 ppb dietary aflatoxins resulted in 100% mortality within 53 days. The addition of AC to the diet containing 102 ppb aflatoxins reduced mortality and increased survival time of the mink while the addition of HSCAS, alone or in combination with AC, prevented mortality. Histologic examination of livers and kidneys from the mink demonstrated liver lesions ranging from extremely severe in mink fed 102 ppb aflatoxin to mild to moderate in those that received 34 ppb aflatoxins. The addition of HSCAS and/or AC to the diets that contained 102 ppb aflatoxins reduced or essentially eliminated histopathologic lesions in the livers. No histopathologic alterations associated with the dietary treatments were observed in the kidneys.