clinoptilolite and Poultry-Diseases

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of zinc-bearing clinoptilolite (ZnCP) on broilers challenged with Salmonella pullorum for a 21-d feeding trial. A total of 240 one-day-old chickens was allocated into 4 treatment groups: 1) nonchallenged control (CON) fed basal diet; 2) S. pullorum-challenged control (SCC) fed basal diet; 3) Salmonella challenge fed basal diet plus antibiotic (ANT); 4) Salmonella challenge fed basal diet plus 0.2% ZnCP (ZnCP). Compared with CON, Salmonella challenge caused adverse effects on ADG (P<0.05), ADFI, feed/gain ratio in broilers, Salmonella and Lactobacillus colonies at 7 d (P<0.05) and 21 d, and serum diamine oxidase (DAO) activity. Moreover, the relative weight of spleen of 21-d birds, malondialdehyde (MDA) content of jejunual and ileal mucosa at 21 d, and the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of ileal mucosa were also significantly negatively affected by SCC treatment (P<0.05). Supplementation of ZnCP in basal diet significantly improved ADG and reduced Salmonella colonies in cecal contents and serum DAO activity both at 7 and 21 d (P<0.05), compared with SCC. Furthermore, supplementation with ZnCP as well as ANT significantly decreased the relative weight of spleen at 21 d, reduced MDA contents of jejunual and ileal mucosa at 21 d (P<0.05), and improved the SOD activity of ileal mucosa at 7 d as compared with SCC (P<0.05). The results suggested that ZnCP addition in feed exerted protective effects on performance and gut health of broilers against S. pullorum infection.

Topics: Amine Oxidase (Copper-Containing); Animal Feed; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antioxidants; Chickens; Diet; Female; Intestinal Mucosa; Lymphoid Tissue; Male; Poultry Diseases; Salmonella; Salmonella Infections, Animal; Zeolites; Zinc

This study was conducted to evaluate the pathological changes in broilers fed a diet containing low-levels of aflatoxin (AF) and clinoptilolite (CLI) until 42 days of age. A total of 576 one-day-old Ross-308 type broiler chicks were treated with varying levels of AF and CLI (15 g kg(-1)). The gross and histopathological changes in the liver, kidneys, spleen, thymus and bursa of Fabricius were investigated and relative organ weights were calculated. Compared to controls, significant changes (P<0.05), such as slight to moderate hydropic degeneration and/or fatty change (8 cases of 10), bile-duct hyperplasia (7 of 10) and periportal fibrosis (5 of 10), were found in chicks fed 100 ppb AF-containing diet. No gross-pathological changes were observed in any treatments. The addition of CLI to the 100 ppb AF-containing diet significantly decreased the number of affected broilers and/or the severity of lesions (hydropic degeneration and bile-duct hyperplasia) in the livers (P<0.05). The addition of CLI to the AF-free diet did not produce any significant lesions compared with the controls.

Topics: Aflatoxins; Animals; Bursa of Fabricius; Chickens; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Administration Schedule; Female; Kidney; Liver; Male; Mycotoxicosis; Poultry Diseases; Spleen; Thymus Gland; Zeolites

Aflatoxin (AF) and clinoptilolite (CLI, a natural zeolite) were added to broiler food and some biochemical values and enzyme activities were evaluated. The experimental design consisted of six dietary treatments. (1). basal diet; (2) CLI: basal diet plus 15 g clinoptilolite kg(-1) diet; (3) 50 ppb AF: basal diet plus 50 microg total aflatoxin (AF; the composition given below) kg(-1) diet; (4) 50 ppb AF+CLI: basal diet plus 50 microg AF plus 15 g CLI kg(-1) diet; (5) 100 ppb AF: basal diet plus 100 microg AF kg(-1) diet; (6) 100 ppb AF+CLI: basal diet plus 100 microg AF plus 15 g CLI kg(-1) diet. A commercially available CLI was provided from the west region of Turkey and its chemical formula is "KNa(2)Ca(2)(Si(29)AL(7))O.7(2).32H(2)O". For this a total of 576 1-day-old Ross broiler chicks were housed in six treatment groups from days 1 to 42. AF treatment significantly increased the serum Na levels and the aspartate-amino-transferase (ASAT) and alanine-amino-transferase (ALAT) enzyme activities, while total protein, albumin, total cholesterol uric acid, and K levels were not significantly different between groups. These results suggest that these low AF levels in food did not change the serum biochemistry but significantly affected the enzyme activities in broilers.

Topics: Aflatoxins; Aging; Alanine Transaminase; Animal Feed; Animals; Antidotes; Aspartate Aminotransferases; Chickens; Diet; Female; Male; Mycotoxins; Poultry Diseases; Sodium; Zeolites

This study was conducted to evaluate the protective efficacy of clinoptilolite (CLI, a natural zeolite) in the prevention of toxic effects of aflatoxin (AF). A total of 576 1-day-old Ross broiler chicks were housed in six treatment groups [six replicates of 16 each; control, CLI (15 g kg(-1)diet), 50 parts per billion (ppb) AF, 50 ppb AF plus CLI, 100 ppb AF, 100 ppb AF plus CLI ] for 42 days. Compared to controls, 100 ppb AF treatment significantly decreased body weight gains of chicks. The addition of CLI to the 100 ppb AF - containing diet moderately reduced the adverse effects of AF on performances of chicks. The chicks consuming 50 ppb AF -containing diet showed no significant differences on investigated parameters compared to controls. Also, the single addition of CLI to the AF -free diet had no adverse effects in birds. These results suggest that CLI can be beneficial in broilers for protection of AF toxicity at the level above.

Topics: Aflatoxins; Animal Feed; Animals; Aspergillus; Chickens; Female; Male; Mycotoxicosis; Poultry Diseases; Zeolites

The amelioration of aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens was examined by feeding two concentrations of natural zeolite (clinoptilolite). Clinoptilolite (ClI), incorporated into the diet at 1.5 and 2.5 per cent, was evaluated for the ability to reduce the deleterious effects of 2.5 mg total aflatoxin (AF) kg(-1)diet on growing broiler chicks from 1 to 21 days of age. A total of 360 broiler chicks were divided into six treatment groups [Control, AF, CLI (1.5 per cent), AF plus CLI (1.5 per cent), CLI (2.5 per cent), and AF plus CLI (2.5 per cent)] each consisting of 60 chicks. Compared to controls, the AF consuming chicks showed increases in the relative weights of liver and kidney; and gross-histopathologic hepatic lesions such as paleness, friability, diffuse hydropic degeneration and/or fatty change, bile-duct hyperplasia and periportal fibrosis. Glumerular hypertrophy, increases in the number of mesengial cells and hydropic degeneration of tubuler epithelium in kidneys of chicks fed diet AF alone were also observed. Atrophy and lymphoid depletion were seen in the thymuses and bursa of Fabricius from the chicks fed AF alone. The additions of CLI (1.5 and 2.5 per cent) to the AF -containing diet moderately (significantly in some cases) decreased the number of affected broilers and/or the severity of lesions. The addition of CLI to the AF-free diet did not produce any significant changes compared with the controls. These results suggest that CLI was effective for the protection of AF-toxication in broilers and it could contribute to a solution of the AF problem in poultry production.

Topics: Aflatoxins; Animals; Bursa of Fabricius; Chickens; Female; Histocytochemistry; Kidney; Liver; Male; Mycotoxicosis; Organ Size; Poultry Diseases; Thymus Gland; Zeolites

Clinoptilolite (CLI, a natural zeolite), incorporated into the diet at 50 g/kg, was evaluated for its ability to reduce the deleterious effects of 2.0 mg total aflatoxin (AF;83.06% AFB1, 12.98% AFB2, 2.84% AFG1 and 1.12% AFG2)/kg diet on growing Japanese quail chicks from 10 to 45 d of age. A total of 40 Japanese quail chicks were divided into 4 treatment groups (control, AF, CLI, AF plus CLI) each consisting of 10 chicks. The performance of the birds was evaluated. The AF treatment significantly decreased food consumption and body weight gain from the 3rd week onwards. The adverse effect of AF on food conversion ratio was also significant from week 4 of the experiment. The addition of CLI to an AF-containing diet significantly reduced the deleterious effects of AF on food consumption, body weight gain and food conversion ratio. Food consumption was reduced by 14% in quail chicks consuming the AF diet without CLI, but by only 6% for quail chicks consuming the AF plus CLI diet. Similarly, overall body weight gain was reduced by 27% in birds consuming the AF diet without CLI, but by only 8% for birds consuming the AF plus CLI diet. The addition of CLI to the AF-free diet significantly decreased food consumption and body weight gain during week 4, but these parameters were similar to the controls in week 5. No mortality was observed in any of the groups. These results suggest that CLI effectively diminished the detrimental effects of AF on the variables investigated in this study.

Topics: Aflatoxins; Animal Feed; Animals; Coturnix; Dietary Supplements; Energy Intake; Feeding Behavior; Female; Male; Mycotoxicosis; Poultry Diseases; Weight Gain; Zeolites