author(s)
Priya K, Preethy John and Saranya N

abstract
The study was aimed to investigate the protective effect of Eclipta prostrata leaf powder on experimentally induced aflatoxicosis in broiler chicken. Sixty Cobb400 day old broiler chicks were randomly divided into six groups comprising 10 birds in each group. Aflatoxicosis was experimentally induced in all groups except T₁ and T₃ by giving 500 ppb of aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) contaminated maize from eighth day of age onwards. The group T₁ was kept as normal control and T₂ as toxic control. T₃ was fed with E. prostata leaf powder at 0.2 per cent level. The leaf powder of E. prostrata was given to T₄, T₅ and T₆ at dose rates of 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2 per cent, respectively. Gross examination displayed enlarged, friable and discoloured liver and histopathological examination of liver showed bile duct proliferation, necrosis, fatty change and leucocyte infiltration indicative of liver damage in T₂. In T₄ and T₅ the similar lesions were noted but to a lesser extent. But in T₆ birds apparently normal liver was noted.