Deltamethrin induced toxicity and ameliorative effect of alpha-tocopherol in broilers

Deltamethrin (DM) is a broad-spectrum insecticide mainly used to protect crops, fruit and vegetables from pests such as mites, ants, weevils and beetles. Birds, animals and human beings living in same ecosystem are directly or indirectly at the risk of exposure to this insecticide leading to substantial decrease in growth. Thus we studied DM induced toxicity and ameliorative effects of alpha-tocopherol in broiler birds. DM was estimated in liver, breast and leg muscles of chickens feeding with only DM or DM with alpha-tocopherol daily for 42 days. Birds exposed to DM showed a dose dependent decrease in body weight on 5th, 6th and 7th weeks as compared to controls, and alpha-tocopherol partially restored the reduction in body weight. DM residue was found higher in liver as compared to breast and leg muscles.