Importance of Zinc Nanoparticles for the Intestinal Microbiome of Weaned Piglets

Abstract

The scientific community is closely monitoring the replacement of antibiotics with doses of ZnO in weaned piglets. Since 2022, the use of zinc in medical doses has been banned in the European Union. Therefore, pig farmers are looking for other solutions. Some studies have suggested that zinc nanoparticles might replace ZnO for the prevention of diarrhea in weaning piglets. Like ZnO, zinc nanoparticles are effective against pathogenic microorganisms, e.g., Enterobacteriaceae family in vitro and in vivo. However, the effect on probiotic Lactobacillaceae appears to differ for ZnO and zinc nanoparticles. While ZnO increases their numbers, zinc nanoparticles act in the opposite way. These phenomena have been also confirmed by in vitro studies that reported a strong antimicrobial effect of zinc nanoparticles against Lactobacillales order. Contradictory evidence makes this topic still controversial, however. In addition, zinc nanoparticles vary in their morphology and properties based on the method of their synthesis. This makes it difficult to understand the effect of zinc nanoparticles on the intestinal microbiome. This review is aimed at clarifying many circumstances that may affect the action of nanoparticles on the weaning piglets' microbiome, including a comprehensive overview of the zinc nanoparticles in vitro effects on bacterial species occurring in the digestive tract of weaned piglets.

In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Phosphate-Based Zinc Nanoparticles

“…The lightest antibacterial effect has been observed in the case of MRSA where the 2.5 mM concentration of ZnNPs inhibited bacterial growth. Our results are in agreement with similar studies which has confirmed higher antibacterial efficiency of ZnNPs on G + bacteria (Baholet et al, 2022). Malagurski et al (2017) observed antimicrobial effect of 50 mM Zn-phosphate nanocomposite film, using DDM (disk diffusion method).…”

Targeting mitochondria with antioxidant nutrients for the prevention and treatment of postweaning diarrhea in piglets

“…In addition, sufficient intake of Zn is crucial for minimizing susceptibility to bacterial infections and preserving the integrity of intestinal TJ proteins. Moreover, Zn exhibits diverse antioxidant effects, including serving as a cofactor for Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase to facilitate the conversion of superoxide radicals into less harmful H 2 O 2 , and suppressing NADPH oxidase to attenuate the production of ROS ( Baholet et al., 2022 ). Moreover, Zn serves as a cofactor for the Zim17 protein within the mitochondria, which in turn interacts with Ssc1 to facilitate both protein importation and protein folding processes within the matrix ( Pierrel et al., 2007 ).…”