Applications of Nanotechnology in Animal Nutrition: A Review

Abstract

Nanoparticles are commonly used in human medicine but their applications in agriculture, animal nutrition and veterinary medicine are quite new. To meet the increasing demands on the livestock industry, synthetic antibiotics are the major substances that are used as growth promoters. However, the use of antibiotics as feed additives is risky due to cross-resistance among bacterial strains and residues in tissues of the animals which could be deposited in man after consumption of animal tissues. Thus, the use of most synthetic antibiotics has been banned in many countries in the world, leading to a reduction in usage and the search for alternative growth promoters with minimal or no residual effect has been intense in recent times. Many reports have suggested that nanoparticles may be good substances for animal growth promotion and antimicrobials because some nanomaterials can remove toxins and pathogens. They can also be better absorbed by animals, improving their performance and the quality of products. Nanotechnology can potentially transform the livestock sector because of better bioavailability, small dose rate, and stable interaction of the nanomaterials with other components. Therefore, using nanoparticles is a good alternate approach that is safe and cost-effective for the control of pathogenic microbes and production improvement in livestock. In view of recent developments, this review was undertaken to discuss issues relating to the use of nanomaterials in animal feeds