This study was conducted to determine the effects of supplementation of nanoparticles of zinc oxide in laying hen diets on laying performance, egg quality, nutrient digestibility, and zinc retention. A total of one hundred and twenty Bovans Brown laying hens (55-week-old) were assigned to four treatment diets including nanoparticles of zinc oxide at 0, 20, 40, or 60 mg/kg, respectively, for 12 weeks. Each treatment had six replicates with five hens each. The results revealed that feed conversion ratio was significantly improved (linear, P<0.01) with increasing levels of nanoparticles of zinc oxide in laying hens diet from 55-59, 59-63, 63-67 and 55-67 weeks of age. Hen day egg production, egg mass were significantly increased (P<0.05) by supplementation of nanoparticles of zinc oxide during the experimental periods. Moreover, Haugh unit, shell thickness and eggshell percentage were improved (P<0.01) with increasing levels of nanoparticles of zinc oxide. Digestibility of crude protein, ether extract and crude fiber linearly increased (P<0.001) with increasing levels of supplementation. Interestingly, the serum biochemical analyses revealed that serum cholesterol, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), urea and somewhat creatinine linearly decreased with increasing Nano-ZnO levels in the diets. In conclusion, inclusion of nanoparticles of zinc oxide at 20, 40, or 60 mg/kg had improved productive performance, Haugh unit, shell quality, nutrient digestibility, cholesterol, liver and kidney functions and can be used as an effective feed additive in laying hens diets.

A common nutritional strategy is to promote the productive performance of laying hens while reducing bird mortality through the use of in-feed antibiotics. As the European Union banned antibiotics as feed additives (European Commission, 2009) due to concerns related to potential multiple resistance of bacteria (Neu, 1992), various studies have investigated the use of phytogenics as effective alternatives to antibiotic feed additives (

Nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize in poultry industry with new tools for the molecular treatment of diseases and enhancing the ability of animal to absorb nutrients and therefore improving productive performance response of poultry. The essential trace elements play important roles such as nutrients metabolism, antioxidant, component of numerous metalloenzymes and protein. Nanoparticles zinc oxide (Nano-ZnO) is the specially prepared mineral salt having particle size of 1 to 100 nm. It promotes growth can act as antibacterial agent, modulates the immunity and production of laying hens. Using of Nano-ZnO in laying hen's nutrition as nanoparticle size will help and improve the egg production sector. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to give an overview on the potential of Nano-ZnO as feed additives in laying hen diets, in order to explore the mechanism of the effects of Nano-ZnO supplementation on laying hen productive performance and to observe their influence on feed intake, ammonia emissions, digestibility, egg production, and egg quality.

Aflatoxin B1, a mycotoxin that belongs to the group of aflatoxins, is mostly produced by A. flavus or A. parasiticus species of Aspergillus. Both human and animal health are adversely affected by these hazardous secondary metabolites. They can get into the food chain through tainted fruits and crops as well as through processed foods and animal feed. Products from agriculture and the food industry, such as cereals, spices, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and dry fruits, might contain aflatoxin B1. It has been shown in numerous investigations that feeding broilers pure aflatoxin B1 has a negative impact on their growth. Higher levels of Aflatoxin B1 (1-5 mg/kg) have been shown to be hepatotoxic to broilers, causing pathological liver lesions. The impact of broiler food contaminated with high or low levels of aflatoxins on the health and sustainability of production, however, has not been thoroughly explored in the literature. Although most of the experiments produced modestly beneficial benefits, substantial outcomes were infrequent. There needs to be more investigation because there are practically infinite options for aflatoxin B1 dosage and length of exposure. Results comparison becomes challenging when there is a lack of standardization. To assess the ideal aflatoxin B1 dosage, the precise mechanism of action, and its effects on the sustainability of broiler meat production and residues of aflatoxin B1 in broiler meat, additional research under more standardized conditions is still required.