EVALUATION OF SYNTHETIC ZEOLITE AND MICROALGAE AS ADSORPTION ADDITIVES FOR HEAVY METALS ON PRODUCTIVITY, EGG QUALITY AND BLOOD METABOLITE TRAITS OF LAYER HENS DRANK EL-SALAM CANAL WATER AT NORTHERN SINAI, EGYPT

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary inclusion with 2% synthetic zeolite (SZ) or 2% Nannochloropsis sp. (NC) as adsorption substances for heavy metals of old layer hens drank El-Salam Canal water (SCW) for 12-weeks period during winter season. A total of 160 Lohmann brown laying hens (62-weeks old) with an initial body weight of 1846 ±17.02 g, were randomly allocated to equally 4 experimental groups, with 4 replicates of each group. The first group were drank tap water (TW) and fed basal diet without any supplementation and served as control group; the second group were drank El-Salam Canal water (SCW) and fed basal diet without any supplementation (treated group, T1); the third group drank El-Salam Canal water (SCW) and fed basal diet supplemented with 2% microalgae (Nannochloropsis sp.) (treated group, T2); the fourth group drank El-Salam Canal water (SCW) and fed basal diet supplemented with 2% synthetic zeolite  as treated group (T3). Egg production, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, egg weight, egg mass, egg quality indices were recorded. Liver and kidney functions were estimated.  The results indicated dietary Nannochloropsis sp. and synthetic zeolite. improved productive and reproductive performance and mitigating the adverse effect of heavy metals (cadmium and lead) against oxidative stress of laying hens by increasing serum total antioxidant capacity (P<0.05). Dietary inclusion with Nannochloropsis sp. and synthetic zeolite at 2% improved laying performance and egg quality indices. Serum concentrations of total protein (TP) and globulin (G) increased significantly (P<0.05) on hens fed diets supplemented with 2%NC or 2%SZ, respectively. In conclusions, Dietary inclusion with synthetic zeolite or microalgae (Nannochloropsis sp.) at 2% evidenced their superiority in protection of layer hens from the adverse effects of Pb and Cd induced liver and kidneys damage, in addition improved productive and reproductive performance.