Silver and Zinc Nanoparticles in Animal Nutrition – A Review

Abstract

the use of metal nanoparticles as supplements of animal diets does not always bring unambiguous results. there are many reports in the literature about the multifaceted effects of this type of supplementation on the animal organism. therefore, the aim of the paper is to present the current knowledge of the possible application of nanometal forms in animal nutrition and its potential benefits and threats. The positive effect of nanoparticles used as feed additives has most frequently been reflected in an increase in body weight, higher average daily gain, or improvement of the FCR value. In some cases, however, the effect of nanoparticle addition to diets was indiscernible. The potent antibacterial activity of nanoparticles, especially against Gram-negative bacteria and Gram-positive bacteria, is regarded as a positive effect. In turn, the probability of their toxicity is a potential risk in application thereof. Supplementation of diets with nanometals has been accompanied by pathological changes in animal tissues, primarily in the pancreas, kidney, liver, rumen, abomasum, small intestine, adrenal glands, and brain. additionally, at the the cellular level, nanoparticles were found to induce toxicity, inflammatory excitation, and cell death. Oral administration of nanoparticles induced a risk of malfunction of the nervous system and even impairment of cognitive processes in animals. The increasing knowledge of the possible toxic effects of nanoparticles on the animal organism suggests caution in their use in animal production and necessitates further precise investigations in this area.

Effects of supplementary nano-ZnO on in vitro ruminal fermentation, methane release, antioxidants, and microbial biomass

“…The decreased in vitro ruminal protozoa count with the Zn supplementations may possibly be due to the physiological changes in the cell membrane integrity, endocytosis rate, cell proliferation, grazing capacity, and metabolic activity [55]. Antiprotozoal activity of other nanoparticles (e.g., silver) was suggested by Bąkowski et al [42]. Contrary to the present work, no effect of Zn sources on protozoa enumeration was reported by Kumar [47].…”

“…The nano-ZnO supplementation actually improved the antioxidant power, because Zn is a strong antioxidant metal decreasing the free radicals [6]. It has also been reported that nano-ZnO can increase antioxidant activity and decrease free radicals due to the increased specific surface area and thus the higher number of active sites [42,43]. Similarly, in the study conducted by Mohamed et al [44], Zn nanoparticles improved the antioxidant capacity in sheep.…”

“…The promoting effect of metal nanoparticles (as prebiotics and probiotics) on the growth of beneficial bacteria in digesta was suggested by Adegbeye et al [14]. Bąkowski et al [42] also mentioned increased ruminal microorganisms as an effect of Zn nanoparticles.…”

Changes in Diarrhea Score, Nutrient Digestibility, Zinc Utilization, Intestinal Immune Profiles, and Fecal Microbiome in Weaned Piglets by Different Forms of Zinc

“…Our results indicated that supplementation with nano-ZnO could work similarly to that of ZnO pharmacological supplementation. Bękowski et al [ 44 ] reported a linear correlation between nutrient and energy utilization with increasing amounts of dietary supplemented nano-ZnO. The pigs in the chelate-ZnO group had a higher digestibility than the that of nano-ZnO and ZnO treatments.…”

Evaluation of acute toxicity of the "Orgasept" disinfectant

“…Disinfectants containing glutaraldehyde and quaternary ammonium compounds (Lin et al, 2018) are considered safe. High antibacterial activity of nanoparticles, especially against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria is regarded as a positive effect, but there is a possibility of potential risk in their use in terms of toxic effects (Bąkowski et al, 2018). Nanoparticles have been shown to be toxic to bacteria, algae and invertebrates (Exbrayat et al, 2015).…”