Effects on Performance, Skin and Liver Histology of Different Clinoptilolite Levels in Rat Diets

The objective of this study was to test the effects of dietary natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) on performance, skin and liver histology in rats. In this study, 24 10-week-old, weaned, adult male Spraque-Dawley rats with approximately 306 +- 18.93 g initial live weight were used. The rats were randomly divided into four groups with three replicates, including a control group and groups with one of three doses of clinoptilolite (2%, 4%, and 6%) in their diets. All the rats were fed these concentrates throughout the experimental period of 56 days. The animals were reared individually in stainless steel cages. There were no significant differences in the primary and secondary follicle numbers among groups, but the diameters of each follicle were found to be significant. The primary and secondary follicle numbers and diameters ranged from lowest to highest as follows: 2.00-2.33, 4.50-7.17; and 11.53-20.42, 57.63-102.12um, respectively. The differences occurred between the control group and group IV (containing 6% zeolite). In addition, the skin and liver histology results showed that there were no differences among the groups.