Supplementation of nano-zinc in lower doses as an alternative to pharmacological doses of ZnO in weanling pigs

Abstract

A set of studies was performed to determine the influence of dietary ZnO concentration and source during two phases (days 0 to 14 and days 15 to 28). Experiment 1: 168 weaned piglets were allocated to four treatment groups in six replicates. The treatments included a basal diet without ZnO supplementation (control), 2,500 mg ZnO/kg (In2500), 500 mg nano-ZnO/ kg (N500), and 150 mg nano-ZnO/kg (N150). Experiment 2: 168 weaned piglets were divided into three treatment groups with eight replicates. The treatments included control, In2500, N300, and 150 mg nano-ZnO/kg (N150). An in vitro trial showed that the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella typhimurium was inhibited when exposed to 300 and 500 ppm of ZnO after 24 h of incubation. In experiment 1, the average daily gain (ADG) by the pigs was improved in the N500 and IN2500 treatment groups. Colonization of coliforms and Clostridium spp. significantly decreased in the pigs fed the N500 and IN2500 diets in phase 1. The total plasma antioxidant capacity was greater in the IN2500 and N500 treatment groups than in the control. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was greater in pigs fed the IN2500 (phase 1) or the IN2500 and N500 (phase 2) diets than in the control and N150 treatment group. In experiment 2, pigs in the N300 treatment group showed a higher ADG and lower fecal score colonization of coliforms and Clostridium spp. compared with those in the N150 treatment group. In conclusion, nano-ZnO at a dose of 300 ppm showed the same growth as the pharmacological dose of Zn. This provides an option to the pharmacological dose.

Effects of dietary supplementation of bacteriophage cocktail on health status of weanling pigs in a non-sanitary environment

“…In the current study, we demonstrated that the non-sanitary environment had a detrimental impact on the growth performance of weaned pigs, as indicated by decreased ADG, and final BW along with a reduction of G:F. In general, E. coli causes a wide range of production issues, including intestine disturbance, diarrhea and subsequent adverse effect on growth performance in weaned pigs [ 3 ]. ZnO had been known as an effective anti-diarrhea agent, and an increase in ADG of weaned pigs had always been observed upon administration of ZnO during the weaning period [ 9 , 15 , 19 ]. In this study, dietary bacteriophage showed a comparable growth performance in comparison with the ZO treatment.…”

“…However, The BP and ZO treatments alleviated these negative effects. ZnO possesses strong antioxidant properties on its own [ 9 , 10 , 15 , 19 ], which may help to explain how ZnO works as an antioxidant in a contaminated environment.…”

“…ZnO properly reduced the tendency to increase recurrent diarrhea and intestinal injuries in pigs [ 16 , 18 ]. However, the use of ZnO has been phased out since June 2022, due to high Zn excretion and consequent environmental issues [ 15 , 19 ]. Regarding the recent legislated rules, there is a growing interest in finding alternatives with comparable growth effects and costs with long-term benefits.…”

The Effect of Sodium Alginate-Coated Nano-Zinc Oxide on the Growth Performance, Serum Indexes and Fecal Microbial Structure of Weaned Piglets

“…Nano-ZnO, as an inorganic Zn, has a high bioavailability and is more effectively absorbed by animals than ZnO [ 11 , 13 , 18 ]. The literature has reported that dietary nano-ZnO and ZnO significantly improved average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) and reduced fecal scores and the diarrhea incidence of piglets compared to the control group, while lower doses of nano-ZnO (500 mg/kg) showed the same growth as the pharmacological doses of ZnO (2500 mg/kg), suggesting that nano-ZnO could be a potential substitute for ZnO to improve growth performance and prevent diarrhea [ 18 ]. Nevertheless, nano-ZnO, similar to ZnO, was mostly digested into zinc iron in the acidic environment of the stomach and the minority of nano-ZnO finally took effect in the gut, thus reducing bioavailability and increasing emissions.…”

Dietary Palygorskite Clay-Adsorbed Nano-ZnO Supplementation Improves the Intestinal Barrier Function of Weanling Pigs

“…With the development of nanotechnology, nano-ZnO has been widely used in livestock science ( 4 ). Nano-ZnO has the characteristics of a large surface area and a high absorption rate ( 5 ) and it has a greater antibacterial effect than other feed additives ( 6 ).…”