The decrease of lasalocid residue in the edible tissues by silymarin supplementation of chicken diet

ABSTRACT

Widespread use of coccidiostats, in spite of beneficial control of protozoan infections in poultry, implies a risk of residues in edible tissues, and there is increasing interest in the development of strategies for prevention of veterinary drugs residue in food-producing animals. The aim of this study is assigned to clarify the impact of silymarin addendum in the diet on lasalocid concentration in the liver and breast muscles from the broiler. Four groups of chickens received a feed with lasalocid at levels between 75 and 200 mg kg⁻¹. Other four groups received a feed with lasalocid (75–200 mg kg⁻¹) plus silymarin. Significant differences of lasalocid concentrations between the liver and breast muscles were observed. Moreover, the chickens from the groups supplemented with silymarin shown significant decreases of lasalocid concentrations in the analysed tissues. The herbal substance did not counteract the ionophore in the treatment of coccidiosis and did not change biochemical parameters of blood. These findings suggest that silymarin might be used in chicken feeding in order to reduce the risk from lasalocid contamination of the broiler edible tissues.

Graphical abstract

KEYWORDS:

• Silymarin
• lasalocid
• residue
• chicken

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Grant Number N308 013 32/1351-1351/P01/2007/32, “The usefulness of in vitro methods using cell lines to assess the protective effect of silymarin against the cytotoxic effect induced by ionophore antibiotics and their reference to nutritional studies on broiler chickens.”

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by a Research Grant from the State Committee for Scientific Research (KBN) No. 308 013 32/1351-1351/P01/2007/32.