Dietary Supplementation of Zinc Oxide Quantum Dots Protective Against Clostridium perfringens Induced Negative Effects in Broilers

<i>Clostridium perfringens</i> is a major cause of necrotizing enteritis in chickens. This study aimed to investigate the effects of zinc oxide quantum dots (ZnO-QDs) on growth performance, redox status, and gut microbiota in broilers challenged with <i>C. perfringens</i>. A total of 320 1-day-old chicks were divided into five groups: negative control (NC) without treatment; positive control (PC) infected with <i>C. perfringens</i>; and the other three groups (40, 80, and 120 Zn) were given ZnO-QDs at doses of 40, 80, and 120 mg/kg, respectively, under <i>C. perfringens</i> infection, respectively. The results show that, compared to the NC group, the PC group exhibited negative effects on growth performance, intestinal morphology, and antioxidant status in broilers. However, compared to the PC group, 120 mg Zn increased (<i>p</i> < 0.05) the body weight of broilers at 21 days, while 40 mg Zn reduced (<i>p</i> < 0.05) serum diamine oxidase activity. The intestinal macroscopic evaluation showed that the PC group had the highest lesion scores, whereas the 120 mg Zn group exhibited the lowest lesion score. Meanwhile, compared to the PC group, the 40 mg Zn group had higher (<i>p</i> < 0.05) CAT and GPX activities and a lower (<i>p</i> < 0.05) MDA concentration. Moreover, the 40 mg Zn group up-regulated (<i>p</i> < 0.05) the gene expression of <i>Cathelicidin-1</i>, <i>IL-10</i>, <i>Claudin-1</i>, and <i>MLCK</i> in the jejunum. Furthermore, the 120 mg Zn group increased (<i>p</i> < 0.05) the abundance of <i>Blautia</i>, <i>Parasutterella</i>, and <i>Lachnospiraceae FCS020</i> in the cecum. In conclusion, ZnO-QDs exerted a beneficial effect on improving growth performance and overall health in broilers under <i>C. perfringens</i> infection, potentially by regulating redox balance and gut microbiota.