Abstract
Simple SummaryFossil shell flour or Diatomaceous earth is made up of amorphous silicates with important physical and chemical characteristics that enable it to be used for different purposes including uses in livestock production. The substance is nontoxic, cheap, and readily available in large quantity in many countries. Recently, fossil shell flour has been modified as additives for several uses. Recent studies have supported its use as animal growth promoter, vaccine adjuvant in livestock, water purifier, mycotoxin binder, inert dust applications in stored-pest management, pesticide, animal feed additive, as a natural source of silicon in livestock, and as natural anthelmintic. Numerous advantages of fossil shell flour include its low-cost and availability, its nontoxic characteristics, and the fact that food grade diatomaceous earth is safe for human consumption. Likewise, all farmers, whether commercial, small-scale, or communal, can make use of fossil shell flour. The numerous uses of fossil shell flour give room for all types of farmers to explore the various benefits and applications of fossil shell flour. It is believed that through this publication, the potential of fossil shell flour will be exposed and explore by many countries.Fossil shell flour (FSF), also known as Diatomaceous earth, or diatomite, consists of amorphous silicates with important physical and chemical characteristics, including porosity and permeability, low density and thermal conductivity, tiny particle size, high surface area, solubility, hydrophobia, and absorption capabilities, which are molecular filter actors, substituting their integral cations without physical changes. The substance is nontoxic, cheap, and readily available in large quantity in many countries. Recently, FSF has been modified as additives for several uses. Recent studies have supported its use as animal growth promoter, vaccine adjuvant in livestock, water purifier, mycotoxin binder, inert dust applications in stored-pest management, pesticide, animal feed additive, as a natural source of silicon in livestock and as natural anthelmintic. Numerous advantages of FSF include its low-cost and availability, its nontoxic characteristics, and the fact that food grade diatomaceous earth is safe for human consumption. In this paper, we review the main uses of FSF in the livestock industry, with reference to similar works earlier published that elucidate their important roles.
Highlights
Increase in the world’s population has placed ongoing demand on agriculture, especially in the livestock sector, for food security [1]
An acceptable detoxification procedure must be cost-effective and capable of eradicating all traces of toxin with no detrimental residues, and should not weaken the nutritional quality of the product [67]. One such procedure is the use of fossil shell flour, which has been reported to be effective against mycotoxins. The authors in their experiment using quail chicks observed that addition of Fossil shell flour (FSF) to an Aflatoxin (AF)-containing diet significantly reduced the deleterious effect of AF on food consumption, body weight gain, and feed conversion ratio
Besides an absence of authenticated statistical information from researchers, there is likewise a gap in knowledge concerning the application of these substances in an inorganic control program
Summary
Increase in the world’s population has placed ongoing demand on agriculture, especially in the livestock sector, for food security [1]. Fossil shell flour (FSF), or diatomaceous earth, has numerous uses, including in water purification, as a performance enhancer in livestock, as a mycotoxin binder, and in stored grain pest control It can be used as a dietary supplement for animals as well as other agricultural applications [4,5], contributing to livestock productivity and food security and safety. Previous authors [8,9] have stated that the surfaces of diatoms possess many porous nanostructure silica cell walls or frustules, enlarging its surface area and enabling it to be used as a substance carrier It has been acknowledged as an animal natural health and sustenance product [10,11], and is described as a fine and pale color silica dust which has the ability to absorb liquids with a definite abrasive characteristic obtained after quarrying, crushing and milling [12,13]. We carried out a review of the main uses of FSF in the livestock industry and other areas of human endeavors
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