In vitro physiological and antibacterial characterization of ZnO nanoparticle composites in simulated porcine gastric and enteric fluids

Abstract

BackgroundDiarrhea in piglets is one of the main causes of animal death after weaning; zinc oxide (ZnO) has been used in high doses for the control of this sickness. The aim of this study was to determine the physicochemical properties of ZnO nanoparticles synthesized and immobilized on a chitosan/alginate (CH/SA) complex and investigate the antimicrobial activity and in vitro release profile of zinc (Zn2+) from these new compounds. The ZnO nanoparticles composites were prepared and combined with CH/SA or CH/SA and sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP). The structure and morphology of the composites were analyzed by characterization methods such as X-ray diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, atomic absorption spectrophotometry and scanning electron microscopy.ResultsThe crystallite size of ZnO nano was 17 nm and the novel ZnO composites were effective in protecting ZnO in simulated gastric fluid, where Zn2+ reached a concentration six-fold higher than the levels obtained with the unprotected commercial-zinc oxide. In addition, the novel composites suggest effective antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. ConclusionsThe results described herein suggest that the novel nano composites may work as an alternative product for pig feeding as verified by the in vitro assays, and may also contribute to lower the zinc released in the environment by fecal excretion in animals waste.

Effects of dietary zinc oxide nanoparticles supplementation on growth performance, zinc status, intestinal morphology, microflora population, and immune response in weaned pigs

“…A previous study reported that the Zn 2+ concentration of ZnO nanoparticles in simulated gastric fluid was six-fold higher than that of unprotected ZnO, it was high Zn 2+ concentration that can function antimicrobial activity against E.coli. 16 These results indicated that 450 mg kg −1 nano-ZnOs could protect against an invasion of E. coli, could improve intestinal integrity, could reduce the incidence of post-weaning diarrhea, and was as efficient as 3000 mg kg −1 ZnO.…”

“…Zinc oxide nanoparticles (nano‐ZnOs) are widely used and possess excellent potential in agriculture and biomedicine . Zinc oxide nanoparticles exhibit effective antimicrobial activity against E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus in vitro , which indicates that nano‐ZnOs may work as a potential alternative product for pig feeding and may contribute to lower zinc excretion in animal wastes . Compared with ZnO, nano‐ZnOs have stronger chemical activity and undergo oxidation reactions with a variety of organic compounds .…”

“…15 Zinc oxide nanoparticles exhibit effective antimicrobial activity against E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus in vitro, which indicates that nano-ZnOs may work as a potential alternative product for pig feeding and may contribute to lower zinc excretion in animal wastes. 16 Compared with ZnO, nano-ZnOs have stronger chemical activity and undergo oxidation reactions with a variety of organic compounds. 17 Nanosized ZnO as dietary supplementation increased Zn digestibility, serum Zn concentration, carbonic anhydrase activity, and growth hormone concentration compared to regular-sized Zn.…”

Zinc Oxide: Development of novel products for weaned piglets

“…These values are much higher than those found in the in vitro tests, where minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and bactericidal (MBC) concentrations are often lower for different bacteria. In the literature there are MIC and MBC results between 260 and 500 ppm for different strains of E. coli (Liedtke and Vahjen, 2012; Barreto et al, 2017). Studies indicate that the efficacy of ZnO for piglets is not related to their absorption but to their action on the intestinal lumen, which consequently causes a large part of the ingested Zn to be excreted via feces (Poulsen, 1995;Rincker et al, 2005).…”

“…While chitosan is easily degraded by lysozymes, the chitosan-alginate complex has shown greater strength due to the strong interaction between the polymer chains (Hamman, 2010). Several results have been found on the use of chitosan and sodium alginate in the formation of micro and nanoparticles by means of ionic interaction (Sarmento et al, 2006;Cafaggi et al, 2007;Sankalia et al, 2007;Li et al, 2008;Aelenei et al, 2009;Lertsutthiwong et al, 2009;Barreto et al, 2017). In the literature, the application of complexes of ZnO and biopolymers in the animal nutrition is not observed.…”