PDF version. There are now several hormone and hormone-like agents that can improve the rate of growth and efficiency of feed use of farm animals. Feeding chickens with oral contraceptive steroids at the dose used by some poultry growers in Egypt has led to the formation of high estrogen residues in the muscles and the liver compared with controls.
Electron microscopy of the livers of treated chickens revealed changes at the ultrastructural level. These alterations involve both the nucleus and cytoplasmic organelles, and are similar to those induced by 7, 12dimethylbenz[a]anthracene in chickens.
It is concluded that the use of oral contraceptive steroids in chickens as anabolic agent is a specific risk to chickens and probably to the consumer. The use of compounds exhibiting sex hormone-like activities as anabolic agents was introduced into agricultural practice about 35 years ago.
Ever since then, the discussion on the risk to public health of residues of these compounds in food of animal origin has continued. Different positions have developed, and while some countries, like the United States of America, feel that controlled use of certain compounds is safe, other countries strictly prohibit their application and, in particular, the use of "estrogens" [1,2].
Oral contraceptive steroids have been used at excessively high doses as growth-promoting agents by some poultry growers in Egypt. The purpose of this study is to assess the formation of residues in the muscle and liver of chickens of contraceptive steroids applied orally at the same dose used by poultry growers and the resultant level of estrogen in chickens. A further aim was to study changes in the ultrastructure of the liver induced by this treatment.
