The present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that low concentrations of coated ZnO, as a substitute for a high concentration of ZnO (2250 mg Zn/kg), could improve intestinal immunity function and regulate microbiota composition, thus alleviating the incidence of diarrhoea in weaned piglets. A total of eighty-four cross-bred piglets, weaned at an age of 28 (SEM 1) d, were allocated randomly, on the basis of average initial body weight (7·72 (SEM 0·65) kg), to seven treatment groups as follows: a 250 mg Zn (ZnO)/kg group (low Zn; LZ) and a 2250 mg Zn (ZnO)/kg group (high Zn; HZ) that were offered diets containing ZnO at 250 and 2250 mg Zn/kg, respectively; and five experimental groups in which coated ZnO was added at 250, 380, 570, 760 and 1140 mg Zn/kg basal diet, respectively. The trial lasted 2 weeks. The results indicated that, compared with LZ treatment, supplementation with coated ZnO at 380 or 570 mg Zn/kg reduced (P,0·05) diarrhoea index, increased (P,0·05) duodenal villus height and the ratio of villus height:crypt depth, up-regulated (P,0·05) the gene expression of insulin-like growth factor 1, zonula occludens protein-1, occludin, IL-10 and transforming growth factor b1, and elevated (P,0·05) secretory IgA concentration in the jejunal mucosa. Microbiota richness and the Shannon diversity index were also decreased (P,0·05). Furthermore, piglets in the group fed coated ZnO at 380 or 570 mg Zn/kg did not differ from those in the HZ-fed group in relation to the aforementioned parameters. Collectively, a low concentration of coated ZnO (380 or 570 mg Zn/kg) can alleviate the incidence of diarrhoea by promoting intestinal development, protecting the intestinal mucosal barrier from damage, stimulating the mucosal immune system and regulating the microbiota composition.

Monodisperse manganese oxide flowerlike nanostructures have been prepared facilely at low temperature and ambient atmosphere. The effect of the reaction time on the microstructure and morphology is observed systemically by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Meanwhile, the possible formation mechanism of the flowerlike nanostructures has been proposed and discussed. It is also found that the reaction temperature has great influences on the morphology of these unique nanostructures. The results of nitrogen adsorption-desorption experiments and electrochemical measurements show that the product obtained at 40 °C for 8 h has large specific surface area, uniform pore size distribution, and excellent capacitance performance, which make it a potential supercapacitor electrode material.

Hierarchical cantaloupe-like and hollow microspherical AlOOH superstructures were successfully synthesized on a large scale via a one-step hydrothermal route. The as-obtained superstructures were characterized by several techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and nitrogen adsorption/ desorption measurement. The as-obtained superstructures, consisting of closely packed nanorods in an ordered fashion, have an average horizontal axis of ca. 2.5 µm and a longitudinal axis of ca. 1.5 µm. The as-obtained cantaloupe-like AlOOH superstructures have Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of about 55.5 m 2 /g. The possible formation mechanism of the cantaloupe-like AlOOH superstructures is proposed and discussed.

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