Zinc oxide nanoparticles improve gut health and reduce faecal zinc excretion in piglets

Abstract This study investigated the effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO N) on growth performance, gut health, and zinc and copper excretion in piglets. A total of 144 piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Large White, weaned at 21 days; mean initial weight 6.15 ± 0.01 kg) were assigned to six groups with six replicates of four pigs per pen for a 26-day feeding trial. The groups were: antibiotic group (basal diet + 75 mg/kg aureomycin), ZnO group (basal diet + 1,600 mg/kg zinc oxide), and four ZnO N groups (basal diet + 200, 300, 400, or 500 mg/kg ZnO N, respectively). No significant difference in growth performance was observed amongst the treatments. ZnO N supplementation improved the activities of superoxide dismutase (linear or quadratic, p  N content was increased, the contents of jejunal IgA, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10 decreased (linear, p  N were higher than in the antibiotic group (p  N showed lower contents of hepatic zinc and copper and faecal zinc than the ZnO group (p  N enhanced intestinal antioxidant and immune capacity and intestinal morphology, particularly 500 mg/kg ZnO N, and also that ZnO N minimised zinc content in the liver and faeces.