Effect of different dosage of dietary lead (Pb) on biochemical and gross and histomorphological changes in different organs of commercial broiler

Abstract

Poultry industry in Bangladesh is involved with livelihood of millions of people and also a source of animal protein for all classes of people. Such beneficial sector may be the cause of public health hazard due to the heavy metal exposure & accumulation in poultry tissues. The present study was aimed to investigate the toxic effects of Pb exposure in broiler chicken. For this purpose, a total number of 72 broiler chicks (Cobb-500,12th day old) were assigned in four dietary treatments with three replicates. Control group received only basal diet without any supplementation. The other groups T1, T2 and T3 received Pb with supplemented feed at a dose level of 10, 30 and 50mg/kg feed respectively. The body weight of each bird was weighed at 3 days interval and found significant variations among the groups. Decrease in weight gain is due to malabsorption of nutrients from direct toxic effects of lead on the gastrointestinal tract or by inhibition of protein synthesis. Blood and tissue samples were collected on the 42nd days of dietary treatment. Lead caused elevation of SGPT/ALT (P<0.01) and decreased serum creatinine attributed to pathological lesions including enlarged, pale & friable liver, swollen kidneys and splenomegaly in experimental groups. Histopathological lesions in liver included cirrhosis and necrosis in all treated groups. In kidney, glomerulus was filled with reactive cells in group T1 while fibrosis and necrosis were found in groups fed Pb at higher doses (T2 &T3). It was concluded that lead toxicity in broiler feed had a dose dependent effect on body weight gain, blood parameters, gross and histological changes.