Dietary copper chitosan nanocomposites supplementation ameliorates aflatoxin B1-induced inflammation, and apoptosis in broiler chickens

Poultry production is significantly affected by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a potent mycotoxin that poses serious health risks to humans through contaminated meat products. The present study aimed to assess the protective effects of copper chitosan nanocomposites (Cu-Chit/NCs) against AFB1-induced hepatotoxicity in broiler chickens. Sixty one-day-old broilers were divided into six groups: G1 served as the control, G2 was received AFB1 at 1 mg/kg of basal diet, G3 and G4 were therapeutic groups receiving AFB1 with low and high doses of Cu-Chit/NCs, respectively, while G5 and G6 were protective groups fed Cu-Chit/NCs at low and high doses for the first week, followed by AFB1 plus Cu-Chit/NCs for three weeks. The results revealed that AFB1 exposure increased levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), alongside activation of apoptotic pathways characterized by elevated Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX) and decreased B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2) expression in the liver. Treatment with Cu-Chit/NCs effectively mitigated these alterations, facilitating the detoxification of AFB1 residues in liver and muscle tissues. Notably, a high dose of Cu-Chit/NCs (100 mg/kg) demonstrated superior efficacy in reducing AFB1 toxicity compared to a lower dose (50 mg/kg). These findings suggest that Cu-Chit/NCs can be a viable strategy to enhance poultry health and counteract the detrimental effects of aflatoxicosis.