TNF and enteritis: The supplementation of CA at a dose of 80 mg/kg significantly increased the expression level of ZO-1 and claudin-3 (<i>p</i> < 0.0001) and suppressed the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α (<i>p</i> < 0.0001) in ostriches with LPS-induced ileitis.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Our results substantiate that CC or CA supplementation in a diet could effectively improve growth performance and reduce mortality in juvenile ostriches via modulating the gut microbiota and attenuating enteritis.