Hosny Abdelfadil Ibrahim1, Mohamed Hasan Khairy1, Ali Mohamed Asy2, Eman Abdelmoneim Abozeid2*

Abstract | Prolonged use of florfenicol can lead to detrimental side effects in poultry. This work focuses on the role of tocotrienol and yeast selenium to mitigate these side effects in broilers’ kidneys. One hundred and fifty, apparently healthy, one-day-old, unsexed broiler chicks were used, fed on a well-balanced ration throughout the experimental period. Chicks were divided into five equal groups, 30 chicks each. Group (1) control group chicks fed to a balanced diet only. Group (2) Chicks treated with florfenicol (20 mg /kg BW, in drinking water) per bird for 3 successive days and the florfenicol was administered in other groups by the same dose and for the same period of time. Group (3) chicks treated with florfenicol and tocotrienol (170 mg/kg BW, orally) for 7 successive days. Group (4) Chicks treated with florfenicol and yeast selenium (0.15 mg /kg BW, orally) for 7 successive days. Group (5) Chicks treated with a combination of florfenicol, tocotrienol and yeast selenium. Blood samples and the kidney of chicks were collected on the 18th, 25th and 35th day of age. Chickens treated with florfenicol exhibit an increase in renal malondialdehyde (MDA), as well as a decrease in renal superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced glutathione (GSH). Tocotrienol and yeast selenium decrease the MDA and increase SOD and GSH in renal tissue. Tocotrienol returns serum uric acid to its normal level. Tocotrienol and yeast selenium don’t not significant change the growth performance parameters in broilers. A combination of tocotrienol and yeast selenium improved the renal histopathological changes caused by Florfenicol. It was concluded that tocotrienol and yeast selenium alone or their combination improve antioxidant effects and mitigate lipid peroxidation in broilers’ kidneys Therefore, tocotrienol and yeast selenium can improve the safety of using florfenicol in broilers.

Keywords | Tocotrienol, Yeast selenium, Florfenicol, Antioxidant, Kidney, Broilers.