Evaluation of potentiated zinc oxide as a source of zinc in broiler chickens

This study was conducted to test the effects of supplemental potentiated zinc oxide (ZnO) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, relative organ weight, breast muscle quality, zinc (Zn) status, intestinal microbial shedding, and excreta microbial shedding in broilers. A total of 680 1-day-old Ross 308 male broiler chicks were randomly divided into 4 dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design, including basal diets supplemented 0, 50, 75, or 100 mg/kg Zn from potentiated ZnO. During days 1–7, 8–21, and 1–35, increasing dietary potentiated ZnO resulted in increased (linear, P < 0.05) body weight gain. Throughout the experiment, there was a significant linear decrease (P < 0.05) in feed conversion ratio with increasing levels of dietary potentiated ZnO supplementation. The dry matter retention, concentrations of Zn in serum and liver increased (P < 0.05) linearly with increasing potentiated ZnO dose. There were significant linear increases (P < 0.05) in relative weigh to body weight, lightness, and water-holding capacity of breast muscle in response to increasing potentiated ZnO supplementation. A significant linear increase in lactic acid bacteria counts and a significant linear decrease in coliform bacteria numbers in ileal and cecal digesta were observed due to increasing dietary potentiated ZnO supplementation (P < 0.05). In conclusion, these results indicated that dietary supplementation with increasing potentiated ZnO linearly enhanced growth performance and dry matter retention, improved the relative breast muscle weight, lightness and water-holding capacity of breast muscle, increased excreta lactic acid bacteria, and decreased excreta coliform bacteria numbers in broilers.