Performance, digestibility, antioxidant activity, immunity, and zinc bioavailability benefits of advanced zinc chelate supplementation in broiler diets: A comparative study
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This study aimed to investigate the effects of various organic sources of zinc at different levels on growth performance, physiological indices, antioxidant status, immunity, and mineral metabolism in broiler chickens. A total of 1,400 one-day-old male chicks were used in a completely randomized design with 10 experimental treatments, each arranged in 5 replicate pens with 28 birds per pen. The treatments included a control diet containing zinc sulfate (ZnSO₄); zinc-methionine supplementation at levels of 40, 80, and 120 mg/kg diet (Zn-Met40, Zn-Met80, and Zn-Met120); zinc-glycine supplementation at similar levels (Zn-Gly40, Zn-Gly80, and Zn-Gly120); and advanced zinc chelate supplementation at corresponding levels (Zn-ACT40, Zn-ACT80, and Zn-ACT120). The results showed that the Zn-ACT80, Zn-ACT120, and Zn-Met80 treatments significantly increased body weight gain, improved feed conversion ratio, and increased performance index compared with the control and Zn-Gly40 treatments (P < 0.05). The Zn-ACT80, Zn-ACT120, Zn-Met80, and Zn-Met120 treatments significantly increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase and catalase, and increased total serum antioxidant capacity (P < 0.05). Improvements in nutrient absorption and ileal digestion of crude protein were also observed in these treatments. The Zn-ACT80 and Zn-Met120 treatments further increased zinc concentrations in the bone and pancreas and decreased zinc excretion through feces (P < 0.05), indicating higher bioavailability than Zn-Gly at comparable levels. An increase in the number of goblet cells and an improvement in the absorptive surface of the intestinal villi were also reported in the Zn-ACT80 and Zn-Met80 treatments (P < 0.05). From an economic point of view, Zn-ACT80 achieved effectiveness equivalent to, or greater than, that of Zn-ACT120 in many indices. In conclusion, the findings showed that the advanced zinc chelate was comparable to zinc-methionine in terms of bioavailability and effectiveness in improving the performance and health of broilers, and both supplements were superior to zinc-glycine, suggesting the use of advanced zinc chelate as a new and effective source of zinc in poultry diets.
Source: Poultry Science
Authors: Mousa Nasiri, Hossein Ali Ghasemi, Iman Hajkhodadadi, Mohammad Hassan Nazaran
Institution: Arak University
Language: English
Subfield: Animal Science and Zoology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,600
OpenAlex ID: W4415314256