title: Effects of copper-loaded chitosan nanoparticles on intestinal microflora and morphology in weaned piglets.
abstract: The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with copper-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CNP-Cu) on growth performance, intestinal microflora, and morphology in weaned piglets. A number of 90 weaned piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire), weaned at 21 days with body weight of 7.2 ± 0.81 kg, were randomly divided into three groups by weight and sex, each treatment including three replicates of ten pigs. The piglets were fed the same basal diet supplemented with 0 (the control group), 100 mg/kg CNP-Cu, and 100 mg/kg chlortetracycline (the positive group). The results showed that 100 mg/kg CNP-Cu significantly increased average daily gain and feed intake and decreased feed/gain ratio and diarrhea rate (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the amount of Escherichia coli in duodenum, jejunal, and caecum were significantly decreased by 100 mg/kg CNP-Cu; the number of lactobacillus in jejunal and caecum were increased (P < 0.05), and the amount of bifidobacterium in duodenum and caecum were also increased (P < 0.05). Moreover, the villous height of duodenum, jejunum, and ileum mucosa was significantly increased (P < 0.05), and the crypt depth was significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The results indicated that CNP-Cu is beneficial to growth and intestinal microflora and morphology and could be a potential substitution of chlortetracycline in diets of weaned piglets.
authors.affiliation: Animal Science College of Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition of Ministry of Education, Yuhang Tang Road 866, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China. wangmq@zju.edu.cn
authors.forename: Min-Qi
authors.initials: MQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yong-Jie
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wen-Jing
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Yu-Dan
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D003300:Copper / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D013552:Swine; D014886:Weaning
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D048271:Chitosan