Zinc nanomaterials: A safe animal feed supplement

Abstract In the food industry, the use of nanomaterials (NMs) as nutritional supplements is one of the most active areas of nanotechnological applications. Powders of nanoscale dimensions are used to enhance nutrient absorption, as they act as efficient tools for delivering nutrients to cells without having many negative effects on their attributes, such as color, taste, etc. A number of NMs are being given to animals and fish as feed supplements and their effects have been studied. In the animal body, zinc is one of the most abundant trace elements, but can’t be stored. Nanozinc (nZn), particularly nano-ZnO (nZnO), has been found to be the most efficient material in enhancing different parameters in the animal body. With regards to nZn as a feed supplement, this chapter reviews the growth parameters in animals and discusses them at length. Toxic effects are also discussed.