Nano Plus: Science and Technology of Nanomaterials

Applications of Nanotechnology in Animal nutrition: A Review

A.O. Idowu — 2024-10-07

Nanoparticles are commonly used in human medicine but their applications in agriculture, animal nutrition and veterinary medicine are quite new. To meet the increasing demands on the livestock industry, synthetic antibiotics are the major substances that are used as growth promoters. However, the use of antibiotics as feed additives is risky due to cross-resistance among bacterial strains and residues in tissues of the animals which could be deposited in man after consumption of animal tissues. Thus, the use of most synthetic antibiotics has been banned in many countries in the world, leading to a reduction in usage and the search for alternative growth promoters with minimal or no residual effect has been intense in recent times. Many reports have suggested that nanoparticles may be good substances for animal growth promotion and antimicrobials because some nanomaterials can remove toxins and pathogens. They can also be better absorbed by animals thereby improving their performance and the quality of products obtained. Nanotechnology has the potential to transform the livestock sector because of better bioavailability, small dose rate, and stable interaction of the nanomaterials with other components. Therefore, the use of nanoparticles is a good alternate approach that is safe and cost-effective for the control of pathogenic microbes and production improvement in livestock. In view of recent developments, this review was undertaken to discuss issues relating to the use of nanomaterials in animal feeds.

Enhancing Aquaculture using Nanotechnology: A Review

A.A. Akinyemi — 2024-10-07

The advent of nanotechnology is a laudable discovery, and to a large extent, it has the potential to solve many nagging problems in the aquaculture industry. For instance, the challenge of recurring resistance of bacteria to antibiotics, and the myriad of different antibiotics in the market coupled with their toxic effect on fish and water is a serious concern. Nanotechnology provides new tools (Nanomaterials) that can find applications in various aspects of aquaculture with little or no risk of toxicity. These include Nanosensors, DNA nano- vaccines, nano-gene delivery, smart drug delivery, nanobarcoding, fish growth enhancement using nano-selenite, nano delivery of nutraceuticals, nanofilteration, nanopolymers, nano-coating, nano-feed to improve buoyancy and availability of feed during feeding, and nano-net treatment and so on. These products are readily available in the market. They can also be synthesized for application in the areas highlighted above. This paper presents a review of nanotechnology and its application to enhance various aspects of aquaculture to find effective management strategies to solve hydra-headed challenges bedevilling the aquaculture industry by maximizing the full potential of nanomaterials.

Trends and Prospects of Nano-delivered Phytopharmaceuticals for disease of Public health importance: A Review

T.O. Ajala — 2024-10-07

A significant amount of effective medicine can be found in phytochemicals that are found in natural products or herb extracts. These natural drugs can be used in the treatment of public health diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, malaria, HIV, COVID-19, gastrointestinal disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. There are significant therapeutic limitations when phytomedicines are administered in conventional pharmaceutical dosage forms like powders, tablets, solutions, brews, and balms. These include low aqueous solubility, poor permeability, degradation, and instability. As a result, there is low production yield, poor absorption and bioavailability, poor potency and efficacy, and toxicity in the body. As a result, phytomedicines are not as effective as they could be. Polymeric nanoparticles, lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, sterosomes, and metallic nanoparticles are novel drug delivery systems that circumvent the problems of conventional drug delivery systems. These nanocarriers can enhance phytomedicine's solubility, stability, and control, prolong the release of herbal medicine, and target specific sites within the body. As a result, herbal medicine can achieve maximum potency and efficacy with significantly fewer adverse effects. The use of phytopharmaceuticals as treatments for diseases that affect public health is extensively covered in this paper, as is the topic of nano-derived phytopharmaceuticals.