Nanominerals in nutrition: Recent developments, present burning issues and future perspectives

Abstract

The unusual intrinsic properties of nanomaterials, such as small size and high surface-to-volume ratio, have invited their applications in various sectors of animal and human nutrition. Since the recent past, there has been tremendous surge in demand for animal-derived foods due to the concomitant increase in human population. The quantity and quality of animal-derived foods are mainly dependent on the health and wellness of the livestock. Dietary mineral elements are well known to play essential roles in maintaining the livestock's nutrition. However, poor bioavailability of administered mineral elements leads to malnutrition and associated health issues in animals. Feeding nanoparticles to livestock has shown promising results including increased growth performance, immunity, reproduction ability, and quality of animal products. This review provides a comprehensive discussion on the need for animal nutrition, major bottlenecks of the field, and use of nanotechnologies as an alternative to the traditional pattern of mineral element supplementation. A significant emphasis has also been given to the possible approaches for developing nanominerals suitable for livestock nutrition. Availability of consumer market for nanotechnology-based food may drive this field to develop different strategies for food sensing, packaging, and nutrition.