Use of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles as Anticoccidial Agents in Broiler Chickens along with Its Impact on Growth Performance, Antioxidant Status and Hematobiochemical Profile

Abstract

The impact of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) on the pathogenesis of coccidiosis in broiler chickens was tested. A total of 160 1-day-old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allocated into 4 groups (n = 40). Group 1: unchallenged, unmedicated; Group 2: challenged, unmedicated; Group 3: challenged, supplemented with diclazuril (1 ppm); Group 4: challenged, supplemented with ZnO-NPs (20 ppm). Mixed Eimeria species (E. maxima, E. acervulina, E. mivati, and E. tenella) of a commercial coccidial vaccine (FORTEGRA®) were used to perform the coccidial challenge by 15× of its vaccinal dose on the 14th day of age. Diclazuril and ZnO-NPs supplementation in Group 3 and 4, respectively, reduced the mortality rate due to coccidial challenge to 5.8% compared to 11.9% in Group 2. The growth performance was improved by ZnO-NPs in coccidiosis-infected group (p ≤ 0.05) compared to Group 2 and was comparable to that of Group 3 (p ≥ 0.05). The average oocyst count was lower in Groups 3 and 4 (7.8 × 103 and 14.3 × 103, respectively) than in Group 2 (67 × 103 oocysts). Group 3 had a decreased gross lesion score in duodenum and caecum (p ≤ 0.05) as well as jujenum and ileum (p ≥ 0.05) compared to Group 2; while the average lesion scores of all intestinal parts in Group 4 were significantly decreased (p ≤ 0.05). However, diclazuril was superior to ZnO-NPs in reducing caecal lesion score (p ≤ 0.05). Plasma carotenoids levels were increased by diclazuril (p ≥ 0.05) and ZnO-NPs (p ≤ 0.05) supplementation compared to Group 2. Oxidative stress appeared on the fourth week post-challenge (pc) in Group 2 (p ≤ 0.05) compared to Group 1, while the dietary supplementation with either diclazuril or ZnO-NPs numerically decreased Malondialdhyde (p ≥ 0.05) and statistically increased antioxidant activity (p ≤ 0.05). Both medications significantly improved the PCV%, Hb% and RBCs count on the 6th-day and 4th-week pc (p ≤ 0.05) compared to Group 2, though this improvement was higher significantly in Group 4 than Group 3 on the 6th day pc (p ≤ 0.05). Neither coccidial challenge nor medications had an impact on the total WBCs count as well as organ index, except Bursa of fabricious index that significantly improved by ZnO-NPs on the 4th-week pc compared to Group 2. Coccidial challenge reduced total protein and globulin levels and increased the serum alanine aminotransferase, serum cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein levels (p ≤ 0.05) compared to Group 1, while those of both medicated groups (Group 3 and 4) were comparable to Group 1 (p ≥ 0.05). In conclusion, ZnO-NPs were found to be as effective as diclazuril against coccidiosis. However, further research is needed to fully comprehend its anticoccidial mechanisms.

The effect of metal-containing nanoparticles on the health, performance and production of livestock animals and poultry

“…A wide range of nanoparticles, which could be used in animal studies, is accessible on the market as shown in numerous publications, for example Ag (Grodzik and Sawosz 2006 ; Pineda et al 2012 ), Au (Sembratowicz et al 2016 ), Cu (Mroczek-Sosnowska et al 2015b ; Mroczek-Sosnowska et al 2017 ; Aminullah et al 2021 ), Se (Shi et al 2011a ; Xun et al 2012 ; Yaghmaie et al 2017 ; Han et al 2021 ), and Zn (Olgun and Yildiz, 2017 ; Abdollahi et al 2020 ; Cui et al 2021 ; Eskandani et al 2021 ; Szuba-Trznadel et al 2021 ; El-Maddawy et al 2022 ). In many experiments on animals and poultry, nanoparticles were purchased to check their impact on performance, productivity, health, and disease prevention and control.…”

“…In many experiments on animals and poultry, nanoparticles were purchased to check their impact on performance, productivity, health, and disease prevention and control. Han et al ( 2021 ) used selenium nanoparticles as a supplementation for lactating dairy cows; Shi et al ( 2011a ) and Xun et al ( 2012 ) used selenium nanoparticles to check their impact on feed digestibility, rumen fermentation and urinary purine derivatives in sheep; selenium nanoparticles were tested by Wu et al ( 2011 ) on cashmere goats; Yaghmaie et al ( 2017 ) used selenium nanoparticles in experiments on lambs; Grodzik and Sawosz ( 2006 ) used, in their research on chicken embryo development, silver nanoparticles; Szuba-Trznadel et al ( 2021 ) checked the influence of zinc nanoparticles on growth performance and zinc status of weaned piglets; Abdollahi et al ( 2020 ) used ZnO nanoparticles in feeding experiments on young Holstein calves to examine performance, rumen fermentation, mineral status, and antioxidant activity; Ouyang et al ( 2021 ) used ZnO nanoparticles to evaluate their antimicrobial properties in weanling piglets and El-Maddawy et al ( 2022 ) used zinc oxide nanoparticles to investigate their anticoccidial efficacy in broiler chickens infected with mixed Eimeria species in an experimental setting.…”

“…Supplementation of nano-minerals can also reduce oxidative stress and improve serum oxidant status. The increase in activity of antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxidase dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and total antioxidant activity (AOA) while decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) is a common phenomenon, for example for SeNPs (Shi et al 2011b ; Hu et al 2012 ; Aparna and Karunakaran 2016 ; Yaghmaie et al 2017 ), ZnNPs (Ahmadi et al 2014 ; Ibrahim et al 2017 ; El-Katcha et al 2018 ; El-Maddawy et al 2022 ) and AgNPs (Abdelsalam et al 2019 ). Antioxidant enzymes are responsible for elimination of reactive oxygen species, whereas MDA serves as an index of antioxidant status, is the end product of the oxidative stress (Shi et al 2011b ).…”

“…Nowadays, nanobiotechnology is an emerging field in animal and veterinary sciences for a variety of practical applications such as therapeutic, diagnostic, and nutritional applications (Abd El-Hack et al 2017; Prasad et al 2018 ; Amlan and Lalhriatpuii 2020 ; El-Maddawy et al 2022 ). Nanoparticles (NPs) of essential minerals, which size from 1 to 100 nm, could be used as an alternative to conventional forms of elements in animal diet (Mohamed et al 2016 ; Swain et al 2016 ; Scott et al 2018 ; Abdollahi et al 2020 ; Kociova et al 2020 ; Szuba-Trznadel et al 2021 ).…”

“…Nanoparticles are known for their antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiprotozoal, antioxidative properties, etc. Silver, copper, selenium, and zinc nanoparticles can constitute alternative health and growth promoting additives to antibiotics (Sawosz et al 2007 ; Pineda et al 2012 ; Bąkowski et al 2018 ; Kumar and Bhattacharya 2019 ; Yusof et al 2019 ; Nabi et al 2020 ; Sheiha et al 2020 ; Hidayat et al 2021 ; Morsy et al 2021 ; Ouyang et al 2021 ; El-Maddawy et al 2022 ). Nano-copper and nano-zinc can also increase the activity of the superoxide dismutase enzyme, which constitutes a very important antioxidant defense against oxidative stress (Gonzales-Eguia et al 2009 ; Refaie et al 2015 ; Hidayat et al 2021 ).…”