Abstract
Sixty 2-week-old commercial broiler strain chicks "Hubbard" were divided at random into 3 equal groups. Groups 1 and 2 were given 50 and 100 mu g aflatoxin B sub(1)/kg feed, respectively, for 5 weeks. Group 3 served as control. The treated birds showed a decrease in body-weight gains in a dose-dependent manner. At the end of the experimental period, liver and muscle tissues were obtained from 2 birds of each treatment group and were used for assay of protein and RNA synthesis in vitro. There was a significant decrease in RNA synthesis and a slight nonsignificant decrease in protein synthesis in muscle, and in both the parameters the response was dose-dependent. Results in the liver also showed a significant decrease in both RNA and protein synthesis after in vivo treatment with the low dose of aflatoxin, but this response was reversed in the high dose-treated group.