zeolites and Body-Weight

The crucial constraint in the broiler production sector is feed efficiency; many feed additives have been widely employed to increase broiler growth. Nonetheless, some of these substances exacerbate health and animal-based food product safety concerns. This meta-analysis examines the effect of clay minerals on alkaline phosphatase (ALP), broiler health, and performance. Metadata was constructed from 369 data items that were harvested from 86 studies. The addition of clay minerals was set as a fixed effect and the difference between experiments was established as a random effect. The metadata were fitted using a linear mixed model. Due to the presence of clay minerals, growth performance as assessed by body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), and performance efficiency index (PEI) increased significantly (P < 0.01). In the total period, the increases of BW, ADG, and PEI were 4.12 g, 0.0714 g/d, and 0.648, respectively, per unit of clay minerals added. Clay minerals did not affect blood serum parameters (e.g., ALP and calcium). The IgA and IgM concentrations in the jejunum and ileum were significantly greater (P < 0.01) in the starter phase. Among clay minerals, broilers fed diets with aluminosilicate, halloysite, kaolin, and zeolite consistently exhibited higher (P < 0.05) BW, ADG, PEI, and lower feed conversion ratio (P < 0.05) in the finisher phase. Aluminosilicate was the only clay that increased (P < 0.05) secretory IgA concentration in both jejunum and ileum. In conclusion, clay minerals could be used as a growth promoter, especially during the finisher phase, without adversely affecting feed intake, liver function, and mineral metabolism in broiler chickens. Aluminosilicate was superior in improving the mucosal immunity status of broiler chickens.

Topics: Alkaline Phosphatase; Animal Feed; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animals; Body Weight; Chickens; Clay; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Minerals

This study was conducted to investigate the toxicity of cadmium and to evaluate the effectiveness of maifanite in preventing cadmium-induced adverse effects. Thirty-two crossbred pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Large white, sex balanced, 17.25 ± 0.07 kg average body weight) were randomly allotted to one of four dietary treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, with eight replicates per treatment and one pig per replicate. The dietary treatments included two cadmium (as CdCl2) doses (0.32 and 30.49 mg/kg) and two maifanite doses (0 and 1%). The results showed that pigs treated with cadmium decreased their average daily feed intake (P < 0.05) and increased (P < 0.05) the feed/gain ratio. Cadmium was found in the tissues of pigs that were fed with cadmium-contaminated diets, but the level of cadmium was much lower when maifanite was added to the cadmium-contaminated diets. Ingestion of diets that were artificially contaminated with cadmium (30.49 mg/kg of cadmium) reduced (P < 0.05) the number of lymphocytes, the total erythrocyte count, the hemoglobin level, and the hematocrit. However, the activities of serum aspartate aminotransferase and gamma glutamyltransferase were increased (P < 0.05). The total protein level was lower (P < 0.05) in pigs fed with cadmium-contaminated diets. The contents of malondialdehyde increased (P < 0.05), while the total antioxidant capacity and the activities of total superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase, and catalase decreased (P < 0.05) in pigs fed with cadmium-contaminated diets. Dietary addition of maifanite can, to some extent, prevent the negative effects associated with feeding cadmium diets (30.49 mg/kg of cadmium) to pigs.

Topics: Aluminum Silicates; Analysis of Variance; Animal Feed; Animals; Antioxidants; Aspartate Aminotransferases; Blood Cell Count; Body Weight; Cadmium; Catalase; Drug Interactions; Eating; Female; gamma-Glutamyltransferase; Glutathione Peroxidase; Glutathione Transferase; Hemoglobins; Male; Malondialdehyde; Random Allocation; Superoxide Dismutase; Swine; Time Factors

The aim of this work was to assess the effect of chronic administration of protonated nanostructured aluminosilicate (NSAS) on the plasma cholesterol levels and development of atherosclerotic lesions in Apolipoprotein (ApoE) deficient mice fed a high cholesterol and high fat diet. Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) deficient mice were divided into the following treatment groups: protonated NSAS 1.4% (w/w), untreated control and 2% (w/w) stigmastanol mixed with high-cholesterol/high-fat diet. Animals were treated for 12 weeks, blood samples were withdrawn every 4 weeks for determination of plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels. At the end of the study the aortic roots were harvested for assessment of atherosclerotic lesions. NSAS at 1.4% (w/w) and stigmastanol at 2% (w/w) treatment groups showed significant decreases in plasma cholesterol concentrations at all time points relative to the control animals. The lesion sum area in 1.4% (w/w) NSAS and 2% (w/w) stigmastanol groups were significantly less from the control animals. In conclusion, in this study, the effectiveness of chronic administration of protonated NSAS material in the reduction of plasma cholesterol levels and decrease in development of atherosclerotic lesions was demonstrated in Apo-E deficient mice model.

Topics: Aluminum Silicates; Animals; Anticholesteremic Agents; Aorta; Aortic Diseases; Apolipoproteins E; Atherosclerosis; Bentonite; Body Weight; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, Dietary; Dietary Fats; Disease Models, Animal; Metal Nanoparticles; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Molecular Structure; Triglycerides