Colestipol and energy restriction as an approach to hasten removal of PBBs from chickens

Abstract

Male White Leghorn chickens were fed either 0.1 or 1.0 ppm fireMaster® FF‐1 (FF‐1) for 21 d. During the withdrawal phase, the chickens were fed 0, 0.5, or 2.5% colestipol hydrochloride, and anion exchange resin. Also, calories were restricted to 80% of control intake within certain groups during the first 14 d in each of 2 consecutive 21‐d withdrawal periods. In the caloric‐restricted groups, colestipol was fed at 0, 0.625, or 3.125% to yield equal daily intake of colestipol to those fed 0, 0.5, or 2.5% concentrations.

During the first 21 d of withdrawal, colestipol at 2.5–3.125%, but not 0.5–0.625%, hastened excretion of polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) by 50%. During d 22–42 of withdrawal, a background level of PBBs contamination was detected, which tended to confound the results. Despite this, higher levels of colestipol lowered overall body burdens of PBBs by 80% in comparison to the overall level of residues in the other groups of chickens, and by 20% in comparison to their own levels 21 d earlier. Dietary colestipol resulted in chickens with lower carcass lipid content. The combination of energy restriction plus colestipol at 2.5–3.125%, which had the greatest impact in reducing body weight gain and carcass lipid, seemed to be the most favorable treatments for hastening excretion of PBB residues.