Use of clinoptilolite in piglet diets as a substitute for Colistine

• Main Authors: Franca Sciaraffia, Michele Zannotti, Luca Malagutti
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2010-01-01
• Series: Italian Journal of Animal Science
• Subjects: Piglets, Clinoptilolite, Colistine, Performance parameters, Plasmatic nitrogen parameters
• Online Access: http://www.aspajournal.it/index.php/ijas/article/view/289

<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">The effects of adding 2% of natural zeolite, containing a high percentage of clinoptilolite, to the&nbsp; diet of piglets was eval-<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">uated by monitoring growing performance and plasma parameters. The diet was also deprived of Colistine, an antibiotic<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">usually added to piglet diets at subtherapeutic levels to prevent gastrointestinal pathology. Sixty-four piglets, weaned at<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">7.9 kg live weight, were divided in 2 groups of 32 each. The control group was given&nbsp; commercial piglet feedstuffs; for<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">the treated group, 98% of the same feed, deprived of Colistine, was used, with the addition of 2% of a natural zeolite.<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">The trial lasted 36 days. The piglets fed the control diet exhibited greater weight in the first three weeks, after which the<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">differences were not significant. The average daily weight gain in the first week was higher in the control group (+37%;<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">P<0.01) whereas at the end of the trial no differences were found. The feed intake did not show significant differences<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">between groups and, as a result, the Feed Efficiency at the end of the trial was higher in the control group (532 vs. 491,<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">P< 0.05). The plasmatic nitrogen parameters did not show significant differences between groups. Only in the first three<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">weeks post-weaning the group fed the diet containing Colistine showed better ADG, subsequently it can be eliminated<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 8.0px Verdana;">and clinoptilolite could favour growth.<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;">&nbsp;</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span></div>