In recent decades, nanotechnology has been rapidly advancing in various fields of human activity, including veterinary medicine. The review presents up-to-date information on recent advancements in nanotechnology in the field and an overview of the types of nanoparticles used in veterinary medicine and animal husbandry, their characteristics, and their areas of application. Currently, a wide range of nanomaterials has been implemented into veterinary practice, including pharmaceuticals, diagnostic devices, feed additives, and vaccines. The application of nanoformulations gave rise to innovative strategies in the treatment of animal diseases. For example, antibiotics delivered on nanoplatforms demonstrated higher efficacy and lower toxicity and dosage requirements when compared to conventional pharmaceuticals, providing a possibility to solve antibiotic resistance issues. Nanoparticle-based drugs showed promising results in the treatment of animal parasitoses and neoplastic diseases. However, the latter area is currently more developed in human medicine. Owing to the size compatibility, nanomaterials have been applied as gene delivery vectors in veterinary gene therapy. Veterinary medicine is at the forefront of the development of innovative nanovaccines inducing both humoral and cellular immune responses. The paper provides a brief overview of current topics in nanomaterial safety, potential risks associated with the use of nanomaterials, and relevant regulatory aspects.

The aim of the study was to PEGylate the antibiotic enrofloxacin, investigate its antimicrobial activity in vitro, and test the effect of intramuscular administration to Wistar rats on the functional state and structure of the liver. PEGylation of enrofloxacin was carried out using polyethylene glycol (nanopolymer PEG-400). To study the antimicrobial activity of PEGylated enrofloxacin and enrofloxacin, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined using the strain from microbial culture collection: Escherichia coli ATCC 11105 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538P. It was found that the MIC of enrofloxacin against E. coli was 0.86 μM/l and the MIC of the PEGylated enrofloxacin 0.44 μM/l. The MIC of enrofloxacin and PEGylated enrofloxacin against S. aureus were 0.86 μM/l. Four groups of rats (control and three experimental) were formed to study the hepatotoxicity of the enrofloxacin in traditional and PEGylated forms. The animals of the control group were injected intramuscularly with saline in a volume of 0.03 ml. Rats of the first experimental group were injected intramuscularly with enrofloxacin (2.7 mg/kg), the second group with PEG-400 (1.5 mg/kg), and the third group with PEGylated enrofloxacin (2.7 mg/kg). Biochemical studies of blood serum and histological analysis of the liver indicated that the PEGylated enrofloxacin had lower hepatotoxicity than traditional enrofloxacin. The liver morphology of the rats injected with PEGylated enrofloxacin was unchanged and identical to the control group at the end of the experiment.

The article gives an overview of modern opinions about the ways of possible contamination of milk and dairy products by mycotoxyn. The key indicator of the presence of mycotoxins in milk and dairy products is the level to which micromycetes affect productive livestock’s feed. Yet, mycromycetes and mycotoxines do not always occur together: some test samples can contain certain micromycetes, but no mycotoxines. Mycotoxines are synthesised by micromycetes only under certain favourable conditions. The multi-chambered stomach ecosystem of lactating cows utilises most mycotoxins occurring in food. Only a small amount of those is excreted in milk. However, some mycotoxins can bind to milk caseins. In this case, cheese and other dairy products can contain far higher amounts of mycotoxins than at the initial stage of milk production. The paper compares the maximum permissible levels of mycotoxins in milk and in dairy products according to the regulations of Ukraine and the EU. It presents the mycotoxins isolated from secretions of mammary glands of humans and productive animals, and describes their effect on the body’s physiology. It also provides a structural diagram of how mycotoxins contaminate milk and dairy products following the path “Animal feed – dairy products.” We suggest four-stage assessment of the risks of mycotoxin contamination of milk and dairy products: Stage I – identifying the producer of mycotoxin (molecule, metabolites in feed, milk, and dairy products). Anamnesis; Stage II – constructing a sequence diagram. Inspecting all production stages to identify the main ways and periods of contamination, determining and describing the symptoms of contamination; Stage III – assessing how the intensity and duration of exposure to a mycotoxin and its metabolites are likely to effect on the body. Modelling the influence of mycotoxins on the body; Stage IV – assessing the risk and determining measures to eliminate or minimise it. Risk scenario forecast

By a morphological study of carcasses of young pig stock of different origin, it has been proved that up-to-date crossbreeding schemes using meat-type breeds as parents increase the percentage of meat in a carcass and optimise the lean-to-fat ratio. Physicochemical analysis of pork obtained from pigs of different breeds has shown that all the parameters investigated are within the current physiological standards. Most parameters have shown no significant difference, though tend to exhibit some peculiarities associated with the effect of a genotype on how this or that physicochemical characteristic manifests itself. The use of the Piétrain breed as the sire line decreases the intramuscular fat content, and hence the calorific value of pork. The back fat of this breed has the highest melting point, which indicates its high storability, but somewhat lower cooking properties than those of similar products obtained from offspring of Large White and Landrace parents. The pH and water-holding capacity of the pork of Piétrain-sired offspring make it quite similar to PSE (Pale, Soft, Exudative) meat: this pork is slightly less tender and paler in colour and exhibits greater weight loss during thermal processing. Also, the result of a comprehensive sensory evaluation of boiled pork and pork broth obtained from Piétrain-sired young stock was the lowest, which is consistent with most of the physicochemical properties of pork from pigs of this genotype. So, it is the 75% purebred Landrace that should be favoured as a terminal sire line in crossbreeding programmes in order to obtain pork and bacon of improved quality in intensive commercial swine production systems. It is recommended to combine Piétrain and Duroc lines to produce terminal sires, ½ (Piétrain + Duroc), that will be further mated with two-breed-cross dams – ½ (Large White + Landrace).