Dave, C. J.BAROT M., VISHAL2018-05-232018-05-232012http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810047240The present research work was conducted on four groups of day old BV-300 layer chicks to study the toxicopathological effects of melamine in feed. Groups II, III and IV were fed diets containing melamine @ 1000 mg/kg, 2500 mg/kg and 5000 mg/kg respectively for 21 days. Group I was kept as control. Clinical signs, mortality, feed intake, weight gain, FCR, serum biochemical and pathomorphological studies were done. Clinical signs viz. dullness, depression, anorexia, unthriftiness with ruffled feather, drooping of the wings and lethargy with shrunken eyes were noticed in birds of treatment groups IV only. Mortality was observed only in group IV (8%) with 40% male and 0% female. A significant reduction in body weight was observed in the treatment groups IV only. There was no difference in feed intake and Kidney: Body weight ratio in birds between control and the treatment groups. Melamine in feed caused non significant reduced feed efficiency which was dose dependent. The plasma uric acid, creatinine and BUN values were significantly increased in treatment group IV. The layer chicks exposed to graded levels of dietary melamine revealed pathological changes in groups IV only with lesions in kidneys. Grossly, kidneys from dead birds showed enlargement with distended tubules filled with melamine-uric acid crystals. Microscopically, kidneys revealed congestion, haemorrhage, degeneration, necrosis, cystic dilatation of renal tubules, glomerular atrophy and deposition of melamine-uric acid crystals of small size. It was concluded that melamine in the layer feed @ 5000 mg/kg or more is nephrotoxic and can be used as protein adulteration in feed.enVETERINARY PATHOLOGYA STUDYThesis