نبذة مختصرة : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding corn naturally contaminated with aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) and aflatoxin B 2 (AFB 2 ) on serum biochemical parameters, hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities, and pathological lesions of broilers. In total, 1,200 Cobb male broilers were randomly allocated into 5 treatments, with 8 replicates per treatment and 30 birds per replicate, in a 42-d experiment. The dietary treatments were as follows: control, 25, 50, 75, and 100% contaminated corn groups. Results showed that serum aspartate aminotransferase activity in the 75 and 100% contaminated groups were higher than that in the control group on d 21 ( P < 0.05). Decreased content of hepatic total protein and increased activities of hepatic glutathione reductase and glutathione- S -transferase were observed as the percentage of contaminated corn increased ( P < 0.05). The activity of superoxide dismutase and the content of hepatic malondialdehyde increased when the broilers were fed with more than 50% contaminated corn ( P < 0.05). A reduction in glutathione peroxidase level was observed in the AFB 1 - and AFB 2 -contaminated groups on d 21 ( P < 0.05). The average pathological lesion scores and apoptosis rate of liver cells increased as the concentration of dietary AFB 1 and AFB 2 increased. Ultrastructural changes were found in the livers of broilers fed 100% contaminated corn. In conclusion, diets containing AFB 1 and AFB 2 could induce pathological lesions in the livers, slightly change the serum biochemical parameters, and damage the hepatic antioxidant functions when the inclusion of AFB 1 - and AFB 2 -contaminated corn reached or exceeded 50%.
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