The role of natural and synthetic zeolites as feed additives on the prevention and/or the treatment of certain farm animal diseases: A review

Abstract

The present review comments on the role of the use of zeolites as feed additives on the prevention and/or the treatment of certain farm animal diseases. Both natural and synthetic zeolites have been used in animal nutrition mainly to improve performance traits and, based on their fundamental physicochemical properties, they were also tested and found to be efficacious in the prevention of ammonia and heavy metal toxicities, poisonings as well as radioactive elements uptake and metabolic skeletal defects. During the last decade, their utilization as mycotoxin-binding adsorbents has been a topic of considerable interest and many published research data indicate their potential efficacy against different types of mycotoxins either as a primary material or after specific modifications related to their surface properties. Ingested zeolites are involved in many biochemical processes through ion exchange, adsorption and catalysis. Recent findings support their role in the prevention of certain metabolic diseases in dairy cows, as well as their shifting effect on nitrogen excretion from urine to faeces in monogastric animals, which results in lower aerial ammonia concentration in the confinement facilities. Moreover, new evidence provide insights into potential mechanisms involved in zeolites supporting effect on animals suffered from gastrointestinal disturbances, including intestinal parasite infections. All the proposed mechanisms of zeolitesÕ effects are summarized in the present review and possible focus topics for further research in selected areas are suggested.

Zeolites versus Lead Toxicity

“…The supplementation with KLS-10-MA reduced the respective ratio in group 4 almost by three times. The greatest differences between groups 3 and 4 were established on day 90, equation (17). The result indicates that the sorbent improved the erythropoietic function after day 60.…”

“…Zeolites also enhance the reproductive performance of sows, increase the milk yield of dairy cows and the egg production of laying hens. They have also beneficial effects on egg weight and the interior egg characteristics [17]. However, the extent of performance enhancement effects is related to the type of the used zeolite, its purity and physicochemical properties, as well as to the supplementation level used in the diets.…”

“…Clinoptilolites are minerals with specific crystalline structure, which makes them a perfect "heavy metals trap" [17][18][19]. Besides, they are the most abundant natural zeolites, occurring in volcanic and sedimentary rocks [1,7] and this fact facilitates their use [20] established that clinoptilolite retains its structural stability under high temperatures and acidity.…”

“…Both natural and synthetic zeolites are porous materials, able to adsorb molecules of appropriate cross-sectional diameter and to exchange their constituent cations without major change of their structure. Thus, zeolites appear to posses two important properties: adsorption property and ion-exchange property [17]. The exploitation of these properties underlies the use of zeolites in a wide range of industrial and agricultural applications and particularly in animal nutrition since mid-1960s [2].…”

“…They support the immune activity [20,42,43] note that clinoptilolite with low toxicity and high adsorption capacity toward Pb 2+ in a strong acid solution has a potentiality for application in the life sciences. Clinoptilolites appears to be stable in the gastrointestinal tract [44], and as unique selective adsorbers, they could adsorb toxins, heavy metals, and free radicals from the body and excretes [17,45]. It is believed that the high affinity of clinoptilolite to Pb would significantly reduce the amount of dietary Pb available for absorption by the intestinal mucosa [20].…”