Nanotechnology is one of the major advanced technologies applied in different fields, including agriculture, livestock, medicine, and food sectors. Nanomaterials can help maintain the sustainability of the livestock sector through improving quantitative and qualitative production of safe, healthy, and functional animal products. Given the diverse nanotechnology applications in the animal nutrition field, the use of nanomaterials opens the horizon of opportunities for enhancing feed utilization and efficiency in animal production. Nanotechnology facilitates the development of nano vehicles for nutrients (including trace minerals), allowing efficient delivery to improve digestion and absorption for better nutrient metabolism and physiology. Nanominerals are interesting alternatives for inorganic and organic minerals for animals that can substantially enhance the bioavailability and reduce pollution. Nanominerals promote antioxidant activity, and improve growth performance, reproductive performance, immune response, intestinal health, and the nutritional value of animal products. Nanominerals are also helpful for improving assisted reproductive technologies (ART) outcomes by enriching media for cryopreservation of spermatozoa, oocytes, and embryos with antioxidant nanominerals. Despite the promising positive effects of nanominerals on animal performance and health, there are various challenges related to nanominerals, including their metabolism and fate in the animal’s body. Thus, the economic, legal, and ethical implications of nanomaterials must also be considered by the authority. This review highlights the benefits of including nanominerals (particularly nano-selenium and nano-zinc) in animal diets and/or cryopreservation media, focusing on modes of action, physiological effects, and the potential toxicity of their impact on human health.

The response to amino acid (AAs) supplementation on broiler production, carcass and meat traits and nitrogen in the excreta during the early growth period was evaluated. Two experiments were performed during 1–28 d (245 birds, experiment 1) and 1–21 d of age (455 birds, experiment 2). In both experiments, the positive control (PC) diet had 22.5% crude protein (CP) and the negative control group (NC) diet had around 18% CP with the same methionine (Met) plus lysine (Lys) concentration as the PC diet. In experiment 1, the NC diet was fed to the other five groups supplemented with synthetic amino acids, such as L-arginine (Arg), L-threonine (Thr), L-valine (Val), L-isoleucine (Ile) or all these AAs, respectively. In experiment 2, the NC diet was formulated to contain 18% CP with either corn–soybean meal and animal protein or with only vegetable protein. Both NC diets were offered to the other ten groups with synthetic amino acids such as L-Arg, L-Thr, L-Val, L-tryptophan (Trp) or a combination of all these AAs plus L-isoleucine (Ile), respectively. In conclusion, broilers fed 18% CP supplemented with DL-Met plus L-Lys showed lower performance and a European production efficiency value (EPEV); Arg, Thr and Val addition improved growth, the feed conversion ratio and EPEV of the diets containing animal protein only, but broiler performance and EPEV was lower than with PC, indicating that DL-Met, L-Lys, L-Arg, L-Thr and L-Val supplementation may be limited in low-protein diets. Furthermore, a low-protein diet supplemented with amino acids did not affect the survivability of broilers up to 28 days of age.

The impact of dietary rice bran with or without feed additives on the performance, carcasses, and blood profiles of chickens was examined. A total of 245 unsexed one-week-old broiler chicks were divided into seven groups, with seven replications of five chicks each. The treatments were: (1) control, (2) 5% rice bran, (3) 5% rice bran + 0.5 g/kg of Liposorb^®, (4) 5% rice bran + 1 g/kg of vitamin E-Se, (5) 10% rice bran, (6) 10% rice bran + 0.5 g/kg Liposorb^®, and (7) 10% rice bran + 1 g/kg of vitamin E–selenium. Considering the entire experimental period, it did not affect the in vivo performance of the broilers. However, all the experimental diets decreased dressing % compared with the control (p < 0.01) and the worst values were obtained for the 10% RB groups (75.7, 75.9, and 75.8%, respectively, for 10%RB, 10%RB + Liposorb, and 10%RB + Vit. E-Se groups). All the experimental diets decreased (p < 0.01) the albumin/globulin ratio due to an increased level of serum globulins. Differences in lipid profiles, antioxidants, and immunity parameters in plasma were not related to dietary treatments. In conclusion, the use of rice bran up to 10% in diets had no harmful effect on the overall growth performance of the broilers from 1 to 5 weeks of age. Still, carcass characteristics were negatively affected, except for heart percentage. In addition, the supplementation of Liposorb^® or vitamin E-Se to rice bran diets did not recover these harmful effects. Thus, rice bran could be utilized at 10% in broiler diets when growth performance was considered; further research is required.

Context: Laying hens are influenced by various factors, including diet, which can have a significant impact on egg production and quality, as well as overall animal health. Aims: This study aimed to evaluate egg production and quality, environmental impact, reproductive organs and plasma mineral profiles of laying hens fed diverse forms of feed supplemented or not with a probiotic mixture. Methods: Ninety-six-week old laying hens were randomly distributed among four groups. The hens were housed in 32 cages (three hens/cage, eight replicates per treatment) during 112–127 weeks of age. The first group was fed a mash diet; and the second group was fed a pelleted diet with a diameter of 3 mm. The third and fourth groups were fed the same diets as for Groups 1 and 2 respectively, but supplemented with a mixture of probiotics (PM) Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Bacillus subtilis. Key results: The pelleted diet significantly increased egg weight and mass, and feed intake compared with the mash diet. PM supplementation significantly decreased the number of broken eggs and yolk index compared with the unsupplemented control. Fresh eggs showed a significantly higher egg grade, Haugh unit score, yolk color, and percentage albumen weight than did the stored eggs, but the yolk index and percentage were lower. Pelleting the feed significantly decreased excreta dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, and nitrogen (N) outputs. Excreta crude fiber was significantly decreased by PM supplementation compared with the unsupplemented control. The PM supplementation increased the true protein in the mash feed while decreasing it in the pelleted feed. Percentage heart and gizzard were significantly decreased because of feeding pelleted feeds compared with mash one to which PM was integrated. Pelleting significantly increased serum calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), and alkaline phosphatase concentrations compared with the mash feed, but decreased serum phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn). Conclusions: Pelleting laying hen diets improved economic traits and yielded stronger effects than did PM supplementation, decreased excreta dry matter, organic matter, and N pollution, and increased serum Ca and Fe concentrations. Implications: These results suggest that pelleted diets could be a more effective strategy to improve production efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of poultry.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of a dietary supplementation with soy lecithin (SL) on the productive performance and blood constituents of rabbit females and their offsprings. A total of 40 rabbits does were distributed into four treatments: control group, no dietary SL inclusion; and three groups with 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% SL inclusion in the diets. The inclusion of 1.5% SL increased the count of blood cells and hemoglobin concentrations; 0.5-1.0% SL reduced the total cholesterol levels in the blood, as well as the low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and the activities of the enzymes alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase, but increased the levels of total lipids, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes. Supplementation with 1.0-1.5% SL resulted in higher milk production and heavier litters. Soy lecithin supplementation at 1% improves the physiological parameters and increases the milk production of rabbit does, also improving the performances of their offsprings.