Efficacy of N-Acetylcysteine to Reduce the Effects of Aflatoxin B1 Intoxication in Broiler Chickens

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been used safely in humans and in other mammals as an antidote against several toxic and carcinogenic agents, including aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). The aim of this study was to evaluate the capability of dietary supplementation with NAC to ameliorate the effects of subacute intoxication with AFB1 in broiler chickens. One hundred twenty male Hubbard 1-d-old chickens were allocated into one of four dietary treatments: 1) control group without treatment, 2) purified AFB1 added to diet (3 mg/kg of feed) for 21 d, 3) NAC (800 mg/kg BW, daily), or 4) AFB1 plus NAC at the same doses as Groups 2 and 3. Broilers treated with AFB1 plus NAC were shown to be partially protected against deleterious effects on BW (57.8%), daily weight gain (49.1%), feed conversion index (21.4%), plasma and (