Muddasir, S., Ahmed, I., Haider, S., Batool, Z., Liaquat, L., Ahmed, F., Khan, A., Perveen, T., Jawad ul Hasnain, M., Khaliq, S., Ahmed, S. B. (2020). Effects of feed additives on chicken growth and their residues in meat instigating deleterious consequences on the liver health of consumers - A prospective human study. Pakistan journal of zoology, 52(3), 909-916.
Abstract
The liver is a multifunctional organ that metabolizes all forms of diets, and food ingredients can have
beneficial or detrimental effects on liver cells during such a process. As we have already studied the
components of chicken feed previously, the purpose of this study was to observe the effects of chicken
meat consumption on liver cells of rats. One hundred and twenty female Albino Wistar rats were randomly
divided into four groups and separately for standard chow rat, commercial chicken feed, commercial
chicken meat and organic chicken meat over a six-week period. Plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor
alpha (TNF-α) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) were estimated before and after the administration of different
meals. After the experiment, the liver samples were weighed and histopathologically evaluated using
a knodell score to assess portal hypertension and liver damage. Animals fed with commercial chicken
meat and feed for six weeks showed development of inflammation, necrosis, apoptosis and cirrhosis
on histopathological examination of the liver, and had raised plasma TNF-α and AFP-levels. This study
shows that damage to liver cells is caused by consumption of commercial feed for chickens and their meat
which is considered safe for human consumption.
...
Conclusion
This study is therefore, revealed as an eye opener to the changes that may arise due to the persistent use of poultry fed on additive roxarsone, bringing the permanent damage to the liver cells. These injuries may lead initially from hepatomegaly and fatty liver to hepatitis and then eventually to the end point as cancer development in the livers. This study may stand alone shows the harmful effects of poultry that is commercially bred on supplemented feeds and its consumption with health implications on the consumers. This study shows that the commercial poultry utilization may be swapped with organic chicken meat as it shows normal outcome of health status upon consumption in the rats in the study.
