Toxicity of Jatropha curcas and Ricinus communis for broiler chicks

The effects of continuous and intermittent feeding of Jatropha curcas seed at 0.5 or 5 percent of basic diet to Brown Hisex-types chicks were investigated. A depression in body weight and efficiency of feed utilisation was observed in chicks on Jatropha food for 4 weeks. Clinicopathological changes included increases in serum SD, GD and GOT activities and potassium and phosphorous concentrations and decreases in total protein and calcium concentrations. However, changes in the concentrations of serum manganese and zinc were in-consistent. In Jatropha-fed chicks total hepatic and cardiac lipid concentrations were significantly increased. Changes in the values of Hb, PCV and RBC were remarkable. Fatty liver, congested heart and intestines and pale enlarged kidneys were the salient lesions noted. Intermittent Jatropha feeding (skip-a-week plant) to chicks for 4 weeks caused similar effects and the implications of these findings were discussed. Death in Brown Hisex chicks caused by Ricinus communis (Khiruwi) seed incorporated in the feed at 0.5 and 5 percent was preceded by clinical illness in which anorexia, loss in condition, blindness, locomotion disturbances, and abnormal posture consistently occurred. The clinical and pathological changes were correlated with alterations in clinical chemistry and haematology. Severe growth depression, hepatocellular necrosis, degeneration of the epithelial cells of the renal convoluted tubules, minute erosions on the intestinal mucous membranes, marked decreases in hepatic vitamin A level and anaemia were the main features of R. communis poisoning in chicks. The vital organs did not fully recover and most of the clinical chemistry parameters did not return to normal 2 weeks after withdrawal of R. communis containing diets. In Brown Hisex chicks fed the combination of dietary Jatropha seed (0.5 percent) and Ricinus seed (0.5 percent), the effects were additive and depression in body weight and efficiency of feed utilisation was greater than Jatropha or Ricinus seeds singly. (84 ref.).

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