Effect of dietary addition of live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on some performance parameters of adult Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) induced by aflatoxicosis

The amelioration of aflatoxicosis in adult Japanese quail was examined by the dietary addition of live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae; SC). Yeast incorporated into the diet at 2 g kg(-1) was evaluated for its ability to reduce the deleterious effects of 5.0 ppm total aflatoxin (82.06 % AFB(1), 12.98 % AFB(2), 2.84 % AFG(1) and 1. 12 % AFG(2)) added to the diet of adult female Japanese quail from 49 days to 84 days of age, Forty, 49-day-old adult female Japanese quail were assigned to a completely randomized design of treatments; control, aflatoxin (AF), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC), aflatoxin plus Saccharomyces cerevisiae (AF plus SC) each consisting of 10 quail. The performance parameters of birds, were evaluated. The AF treatment significantly and dramatically decreased body weight gain, food consumption, egg production and egg weight from the first week onwards. Significant adverse effects of AF on food conversion ratio and deaths were noted throughout the experiment. The addition of SC to the AF-containing diet significantly reduced these deleterious effects of AF on body weight gain, food consumption, egg production, egg weight and food conversion ratio. Compared to controls, the cumulative body weight gain was reduced by 39 percent among the quail consuming AF without SC, but increased 65 percent for the birds fed AF plus SC. Interestingly, the single inclusion of SC to the AF-free diet provided significant improvements in all the performance parameters compared to controls.