Experimental aflatoxicosis in young Japanese quail.

Japanese quail from the university colony fed graded levels of dietary aflatoxin (0, 1.25, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 micrograms/g) from hatching to 4 weeks of age were comparatively resistant to aflatoxin as growth inhibition occurred at a dose of 5.0 micrograms/g or more as about 50% mortality occurred at a dose of 20 micrograms/g. The acute oral LD50 was 19.5 +/- 4.8 mg/kg. These values are up to ten times those reported in the literature for other quail. The most sensitive indicators of aflatoxicosis were depressed serum proteins and serum carotenoids and enlarged liver and pancreas, all of which occurred at 1.25 micrograms/g, the smallest dose administered. Unlike chickens, the serum lipids, liver lipids, hemoglobin, serum uric acid, and spleen size of quail were not affected significantly (P less than .05). The sizes of the proventriculus and gizzard were increased by doses of 5.0 micrograms/g or higher, whereas the bursa of Fabricius was regressed by the same dose.