TOLERABILITY AND SUBCHRONIC TOXICITY OF IRON METHIONATE IN BROILER CHICKENS COMPARED TO FERROUS SULPHATE

A. Arnaudova-Matey, T. Todorov, K. Todorova, D. Dimitrova, T. Mehmedov, Z. Shindarska, S. Ivanova, G. Angelov, P. Dilov

Abstract: Bulgarian iron methionate (Fe-met.) containing 13.3% iron was studied in comparison to ferrous sulphate (Fe-S) (heptahydrate) containig 20% iron. 40 broiler chickens aged 20 days and another 55 chickens aged 10 days of both genders equally divided, four linear hybrid ROSS-IKOV, were involved in the study. The basic feed used for all chickens during the tests was a blend of grain and soya which contained 2,717.23 kcal/kg metabolizable energy, 21.33% crude protein, 119 ± 5 ppm Fe and vitamin and mineral blend without iron. In the 20 day-old chickens the comparable products were applied intraingluvialy. The following results were achieved: LD0 for Fe-met.- 1.500 mg/kg and for Fe-S – 1,000 mg/kg; LD05 for Fe-met.- 2.000 mg/kg and for Fe-S – 1.500 mg/kg. The two products had low acute toxicity. The chickens aged 10 days were included in 35-day subchronic toxicity study. 40 ppm and 300 ppm Fe-met. and Fe-S were added to their food. During the study no chickens got ill or had any manifestations of adverse side effects and pathomorphological changes. No changes in the haemoglobin level associated with the source of iron or control chickens were observed. However, we found differences in the effect of the products in question and in the control chickens (weight, number of leukocytes, total protein) in favour of the iron methionate, which were probably due to the better bioactivity.

Keywords: broiler chickens; ferrous sulphate; iron methionate; tolerability; toxicity

Date published: 2017-04-18