Abstract
Simple SummaryZinc oxide (ZnO) supplementation at pharmacological doses in post-weaning piglets is a consolidated practice that allows efficient control of post-weaning diarrhea (PWD), a condition exacerbated by Escherichia coli F4 (K88) infections. Far from being completely elucidated, the multifactorial ZnO mechanism of action is in all likelihood exerted at the gastrointestinal level. However, increasing environmental concerns are arising from prolonged ZnO use. This article reviews the utilization of ZnO in piglets, the biological rationale behind its powerful activity, and the emerging threats that are leading towards a significant reduction in its use. Finally, a wide analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of innovative alternative strategies to manage PWD at the nutritional level is given.Zinc oxide (ZnO) at pharmacological doses is extensively employed in the pig industry as an effective tool to manage post-weaning diarrhea (PWD), a condition that causes huge economic losses because of its impact on the most pivotal phase of a piglet’s production cycle. In a multifactorial way, ZnO exerts a variety of positive effects along the entire gastrointestinal tract by targeting intestinal architecture, digestive secretions, antioxidant systems, and immune cells. ZnO also has a moderate antibacterial effect against Escherichia coli F4 (K88), the main causative agent of PWD. However, the environmental impact of ZnO and new emerging threats are posing serious questions to the sustainability of its extensive utilization. To work towards a future free from pharmacological ZnO, novel nutritional approaches are necessary, and many strategies have been investigated. This review article provides a comprehensive framework for ZnO utilization and its broad mode of action. Moreover, all the risks related to pharmacological ZnO levels are presented; we focus on European institutions’ decisions subsequently. The identification of a novel, complete solution against PWD should be accompanied by the adoption of holistic strategies, thereby combining good management practices to feeding approaches capable of mitigating Escherichia coli F4 (K88) infections and/or lowering ZnO utilization. Promising results can be obtained by adjusting diet composition or employing organic acids, natural identical compounds, polyphenol-rich extracts, prebiotics, and probiotics.
Highlights
This article is an open access articlePigs are one of the most important livestock species, being the world’s primary meat resource for human nutrition along with poultry [1]
Some commensal E. coli strain can produce colicin, an antimicrobial peptides (AMP) effective against pathogenic E. coli; Cutler and colleagues proved that its addition in diets of weanling piglet challenged with E. coli decreases post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) incidence and reduces the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines [211]
No recent studies employing egg yolk antibodies are currently available, probably because of huge variabilities in IgY research studies due to their stability issues in the gastrointestinal tract and their cost of production [220,222]. Another immunoglobulin-related approach is represented by spray-dried plasma (SDP), a biologically active product obtained by industrial fractionation of animal blood
Summary
Pigs are one of the most important livestock species, being the world’s primary meat resource for human nutrition along with poultry [1]. Because of the sudden lack of passive immunity provided through maternal milk and the underdevelopment of the piglet’s immune system at weaning, acute immunological changes occur and an inflammatory status is established [10,13] All these interconnected circumstances exert detrimental effects on the overall health status of animals, providing the ideal environment for the onset of post-weaning diarrhea (PWD), one of the most economically-relevant diseases in pig husbandry due to the costs of therapies, slower growth, and increased mortality [14]. 2022, medicinal doses of ZnO will no longer be authorized in the European Union, so novel strategies to manage PWD are urgently needed Starting from this general framework, the aim of this review is to investigate the rationale behind the large-scale utilization of ZnO in post-weaning piglets, its precise mechanism of action, and the reasons that are causing researchers, industries, and political institutions to reduce its employment at high levels. The present work provides an overview of all the main in-feed alternatives to the use of medicinal levels of ZnO and strategies to control E. coli F4; their strengthens and limitations are described as well
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