%0 Journal Article
%T Effects of Dietary Zeolite Supplementation as an Antibiotic Alternative on Growth Performance, Intestinal Integrity, and Cecal Antibiotic Resistance Genes Abundances of Broilers
%A Hengman Qu
%A Jun Li
%A Yanmin Zhou
%A Yefei Cheng
%A Yueping Chen
%A Yurui Zhao
%J Animals | An Open Access Journal from MDPI
%D 2019
%R https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9110909
%X The study investigated the effects of dietary zeolite supplementation as an antibiotic alternative on growth performance, intestinal integrity, and cecal antibiotic resistance genes abundances of broilers. One-day-old chicks were assigned into three groups and fed a basal diet or a basal diet supplemented with antibiotics (50 mg/kg) or zeolite (10 g/kg). Antibiotic or zeolite increased ( p < 0.05) average daily gain (ADG) from 1 to 42 days and duodenal villus height to crypt depth ratio (VH:CD) at 21 days. Zeolite increased ( p < 0.05) ADG and average daily feed intake from 1 to 21 days, jejunal VH:CD at 21 and 42 days, ileal VH and VH:CD at 42 days, zonula occludens-1 mRNA abundance at 21 days, and duodenal occludin mRNA abundance at 42 days, whereas reduced ( p < 0.05) jejunal CD and malondialdehyde levels in ileum at 21 days and duodenum at 42 days, serum D-lactic acid and diamine oxidase levels at 42 days, and plasma lipopolysaccharide content at 21 and 42 days. Antibiotics reduced ( p < 0.05) duodenal claudin-2 mRNA abundance at 21 days, whereas increased ( p < 0.05) cecal tetB abundance at 42 days. These findings suggested that the beneficial effects of zeolite in broilers were more pronounced than that of antibiotics
%U https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/11/909