Nanoparticles in Equine Nutrition: Mechanism of Action and Application as Feed Additives.
Abstract: Several concerns exist regarding horse rearing such as environmental pollution, antibiotics resistance, digestive disorders, mycotoxins contamination of animal feed, gut health management, and improvement of feed efficiency. Nanoparticles have the potential to address these issues and thus could be used as feed additive. Citrate reduces and stabilizes gold nanoparticles, alongside biosynthesized silver nanoparticles have the potential to prolong and improve digestive enzyme activity, which would enhance starch digestibility in the stomach. Zinc oxide and selenium nanoparticles could be used to improve feed digestibility and volatile fatty acids production. Magnesium oxide, silver, and copper nanoparticles exhibit strong antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative microbes and weaken the biofilm formation of the microbial community. Calcium, zinc, and silver nanoparticles could be used to prevent periodontal disease in horses. In addition, silver nanoparticles may be applied as antifasciolitics and potentially against other gastrointestinal parasites. Environmental concern of equines could be addressed by using cerium oxide, silver, and cobalt nanoparticles to reduce methane emission and zinc oxide could help to reduce fecal mineral output. Fullerol C[OH] a honey-derived silver nanoparticle and zinc oxide nanoparticles exhibit attractive antibacterial properties because of increased specific surface area as the reduced particle enhance unit surface reactivity. Gut health management of equines could be solved with nanoparticles because of the ability of ferrous oxide and copper nanoparticles to improve microbial growth, whereas zinc oxide improves villus height, crypt depth, and villous surface area. It is required to explore in depth the beneficial effects of these nanoparticles as a novel area in the equine industry's both in vitro and in vivo before recommendation to equine owners.
Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2019-04-05 PubMed ID: 31203981DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2019.04.001Google Scholar: Lookup
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The research article discusses the potential benefits of utilizing nanoparticles in horse nutrition by addressing issues such as environmental pollution, antibiotic resistance, digestive disorders, mycotoxin contamination, and gut health management. It identifies various types of nanoparticles such as gold, silver, zinc oxide, selenium, copper, and others, that could be used as feed additives to enhance the quality of horse feed and improve their health.
Mechanism of Action of Nanoparticles in Equine Nutrition
- The research indicates that citrate can reduce and stabilize gold nanoparticles. These particles in turn can improve the activity of digestive enzymes, thus boosting starch digestibility in the horse’s stomach.
- Nanoparticles of Zinc oxide and selenium may enhance feed digestibility and increase the production of volatile fatty acids which are crucial for equine nutrition.
- The nanoparticles of Magnesium oxide, silver, and copper exhibit potent antimicrobial capabilities against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. These particles can also disrupt the formation of bacterial biofilms, thus protecting the horse’s gut from bacterial infections.
Nanoparticles as Feed Additives
- The calcium nanoparticles, along with zinc and silver particles, may be effective in preventing periodontal diseases in horses which can affect their overall health and performance.
- Environmental challenges associated with horse rearing can be mitigated by the application of cerium oxide, silver, and cobalt nanoparticles. These particles can reduce methane emissions, alleviating the environmental impact of horse rearing. Zinc oxide nanoparticles may also help decrease the mineral output in horse feces, further contributing to the environmental benefits.
- Fullerol C[OH], a type of honey-derived silver nanoparticle, and zinc oxide nanoparticles boast beneficial antibacterial attributes due to an increased specific surface area, enhancing their reactivity.
Improving Gut Health with Nanoparticles
- The health of a horse’s gut could potentially be improved with nanoparticles. The research mentions that ferrous oxide and copper nanoparticles can enhance microbial growth, while zinc oxide can improve the physical characteristics of the gut, such as villus height, crypt depth, and villous surface area.
The paper concludes with a call for further research on the benefits of these nanoparticles, both in vitro and in vivo. Once extensive studies have been conducted, such feed additives could then be recommended to horse owners.
Cite This Article
APA
Adegbeye MJ, Elghandour MMMY, Barbabosa-Pliego A, Monroy JC, Mellado M, Ravi Kanth Reddy P, Salem AZM.
(2019).
Nanoparticles in Equine Nutrition: Mechanism of Action and Application as Feed Additives.
J Equine Vet Sci, 78, 29-37.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2019.04.001 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture, Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ilesha, Nigeria.
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, México.
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, México.
- Centro Universitario UAEM-Temascaltepec, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, México.
- Departamento de Nutrición Animal, Universidad Autónoma de Antonio Narro, Saltillo, México.
- Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, Veterinary dispensary, Taticherla, Andhra Pradesh, India.
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, México. Electronic address: asalem70@yahoo.com.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Anti-Bacterial Agents
- Gold
- Horses
- Metal Nanoparticles
- Silver
- Zinc Oxide
Citations
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