Revolutionizing Poultry Nutrition: Breakthrough Nanotechnology Feed Additives That Transform Performance and Health (2020–2025)

 

Nanotechnology-Based Feed Additives and Nano-Enabled Feeds in Poultry Nutrition: A Comprehensive Review of Five-Year Advances (2020–2025)

 

Pudjiatmoko

Member of the Nanotechnology Technical Committee, National Standardization Agency, Indonesia

 

 

ABSTRACT

 

Nanotechnology has rapidly emerged as a transformative approach in poultry nutrition, offering innovative solutions to enhance nutrient delivery, bioavailability, and biological efficacy of feed additives. During the past five years, research on nano-enabled nutrition has expanded considerably, focusing on nano-minerals, chitosan-based nanopolymers, nano-encapsulated essential oils, metal-based nanoparticles, and probiotic nano-delivery systems. This review systematically synthesizes advances from 2020 to 2025 to elucidate their mechanisms of action, impacts on growth performance, feed efficiency, gut health, immune modulation, antioxidant defense, and safety considerations. A narrative and structured review was conducted using literature obtained from Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar, limited to peer-reviewed English-language articles published between 2020 and 2025. Studies were included if they evaluated nanoparticles in poultry diets, applied in vivo or mechanistic approaches, and reported measurable outcomes. A summary table documents authors, nanoparticle types, poultry species, doses, and principal findings.

 

Recent evidence shows that nano-minerals such as zinc oxide (ZnO-NP), copper (Cu-NP), and selenium nanoparticles (Se-NP) exhibit substantially higher bioavailability and biological activity than conventional mineral forms, resulting in improved growth, feed conversion ratio (FCR), antioxidant capacity, and gut function. Chitosan nanoparticles enhance immunity, gastrointestinal integrity, and microbial balance, while silver nanoparticles demonstrate strong antimicrobial activity but raise concerns regarding tissue accumulation and oxidative stress. Nanoencapsulation markedly improves the stability and gastrointestinal delivery of essential oils and probiotics. Despite these promising benefits, questions remain regarding nanoparticle toxicity, oxidative stress potential, organ deposition, and regulatory gaps.

 

Overall, nanotechnology-enabled feed additives offer substantial potential for improving poultry performance and production sustainability. However, standardized safety assessments, dose optimization, long-term toxicity evaluations, and harmonized regulatory frameworks are urgently required before widespread industry adoption can be recommended.

Keywords: Nanotechnology, feed additives, poultry, nanoparticles, nano-minerals, nano-encapsulation, bioavailability, gut health.

 

1. INTRODUCTION

 

Nanotechnology offers unprecedented opportunities to enhance nutrient utilization, feed efficiency, and health outcomes in poultry production. Defined as particulate materials within the range of 1–100 nm, nanoparticles possess distinctive physicochemical characteristics—including high surface-to-volume ratios, increased charge density, enhanced reactivity, and improved permeability across biological membranes—that make them highly suitable as feed additives, antimicrobial agents, and controlled-release delivery systems. These properties differentiate them fundamentally from their conventional macro- and micro-sized counterparts, enabling superior biological performance at reduced inclusion levels.

 

Research progress during the period 2020–2025 reflects a rapid expansion in the incorporation of nanotechnology into poultry nutrition. This trend has been driven by global pressure to reduce antibiotic use, rising feed costs that demand more efficient nutrient utilization, and growing interest in precision-nutrition strategies that enable targeted delivery of micro-ingredients. Concurrently, evolving insights into nanoparticle toxicity and metabolic fate have encouraged more systematic investigations of their safety profiles.

 

Nanotechnology-enabled feed additives explored in recent literature encompass nano-minerals such as ZnO-NP, Cu-NP, and Se-NP; biopolymer-based nanoparticles such as chitosan; metallic nanoparticles such as silver nanoparticles; and nanoencapsulated bioactive compounds including essential oils, probiotics, vitamins, organic acids, and nanoemulsions. This review consolidates findings from the last five years to evaluate their mechanisms of action, documented benefits, safety challenges, and future implications for poultry nutrition.

 

2. METHODS

 

2.1 Literature Search Strategy

A systematic literature search was conducted using Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Search terms included variations of “nanoparticle,” “nano-mineral,” “nano-selenium,” “nano-copper,” “nano-zinc,” “nano feed additive,” “poultry,” “broiler,” “layer,” “nanotechnology feed,” “nanoencapsulation,” and “silver nanoparticles poultry.” The search was restricted to publications in English between January 2020 and January 2025. Only peer-reviewed articles, review papers, and in vivo poultry experiments were considered eligible.

 

2.2 Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

Studies were included if they investigated nanoparticles or nano-delivery systems incorporated into poultry diets and reported quantitative outcomes related to growth, feed conversion, immunity, oxidative stress biomarkers, gut morphology, or microbiology. Mechanistic in vitro studies directly relevant to poultry gastrointestinal physiology were also considered. Studies were excluded if they did not involve nanoparticle-based compounds, if nanoparticles were applied solely as vaccine components or disinfectants, or if methodological details were insufficient for interpretation. Non-peer-reviewed publications were excluded.

 

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

 

3.1 Overview of Studies from 2020 to 2025

 

The reviewed studies, as summarized in the accompanying table, reveal consistent support for the beneficial effects of nanotechnology-enabled feed additives across broilers and layers. Collectively, they demonstrate improvements in growth performance, feed efficiency, gut morphology, immune modulation, antioxidant status, microbial balance, and nutrient retention, while also highlighting safety challenges associated with specific nanoparticle types.

 

3.2 Nano-Minerals in Poultry Nutrition

 

3.2.1 Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnO-NP)

Zinc oxide nanoparticles represent one of the most extensively studied nano-minerals in poultry nutrition. Compared with conventional zinc sulfate, ZnO-NP demonstrates markedly higher intestinal absorption and antimicrobial activity, along with improved zinc bioavailability that allows substantial reductions in supplementation levels. Studies by Yang et al. (2025) and Hidayat et al. (2024) consistently report enhanced growth performance, improved FCR, modulation of intestinal microbiota, increased activities of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD and GPx, and strengthened innate and adaptive immunity. However, safety evaluations by Dosoky et al. (2022) indicate that high doses can induce oxidative stress in hepatic and renal tissues, elevate malondialdehyde levels, and lead to tissue accumulation of zinc. These findings underscore the need for precise dose optimization, with most beneficial effects observed at 30–60 mg/kg depending on nanoparticle characteristics.

 

3.2.2 Selenium Nanoparticles (Se-NP)

Selenium nanoparticles have emerged as a superior alternative to traditional inorganic selenium sources due to their enhanced biocompatibility and reduced toxicity. Work by Hosseintabar-Ghasemabad et al. (2024) demonstrates that Se-NP improves total antioxidant capacity, elevates GPx and SOD activity, enhances growth rate, and reduces stress biomarkers—particularly under heat stress conditions. The improved performance of Se-NP is primarily attributed to enhanced gastrointestinal absorption, redox stability, and mitochondrial protection. Although safer than inorganic Se, the narrow therapeutic window of selenium necessitates careful dose regulation.

 

3.2.3 Copper Nanoparticles (Cu-NP)

Copper nanoparticles have shown compelling potential as antimicrobial agents and growth promoters. Sharif et al. (2021) report significant improvements in nutrient digestibility, villus height, crypt depth, and gut microbial balance at relatively low inclusion levels. Cu-NP also demonstrates greater retention efficiency than conventional copper sources. Nevertheless, concerns persist regarding oxidative stress at higher doses, potential hepatic accumulation, and interactions with other trace minerals, emphasizing the need for standardized dosing protocols.

 

3.3 Chitosan and Biopolymer Nanoparticles

Chitosan nanoparticles constitute a versatile natural nanopolymer with antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and prebiotic properties. Research by Abd El-Ghany (2023) and Hassanen et al. (2023) shows that chitosan NPs reduce cecal pathogenic bacteria, improve gut morphology, enhance nutrient absorption, and support immune function. Chitosan nanoparticles are also widely used as carriers for essential oils, organic acids, and probiotics due to their high encapsulation efficiency and controlled-release profiles. Their biocompatibility and biodegradability make them particularly attractive for sustainable poultry production.

 

3.4 Silver Nanoparticles (Ag-NP)

Silver nanoparticles exhibit strong antimicrobial activity through mechanisms involving reactive oxygen species generation, membrane disruption, DNA interference, and biofilm inhibition. Studies by Lohakare et al. (2022) and Salem et al. (2021) show that low doses (<10 ppm) can improve feed efficiency and reduce pathogen load. However, Ag-NP carries a higher toxicity risk than most nano-minerals due to its propensity for organ accumulation and oxidative stress induction. Long-term safety data remain insufficient, and regulatory limitations are anticipated as more evidence emerges.

 

3.5 Nano-Encapsulated Essential Oils

Essential oils suffer from volatility and instability when incorporated into conventional feeds. Nanoencapsulation has addressed these issues by enhancing their oxidative stability, protecting them during feed processing, and enabling controlled release in the gastrointestinal tract. Movahedi et al. (2024) report improved antimicrobial efficacy, better digestibility, enhanced gut integrity, and improved immune status in broilers fed nano-encapsulated essential oils.

 

3.6 Nanoencapsulation of Probiotics

Probiotics often show reduced viability due to damage from feed processing and gastric acidity. Nanoencapsulation, as reviewed by Razavi et al. (2021), offers a targeted and protective delivery method that significantly increases probiotic survival, improves intestinal colonization, strengthens gut barrier function, and reduces pathogen colonization. Technologies such as chitosan coatings, alginate nanogels, nanofibers, and liposomal carriers have shown considerable promise, particularly for antibiotic-free poultry production systems.

 

3.7 Mechanisms of Action

Nanoparticles exert their biological effects through a variety of mechanisms, including enhanced bioavailability due to increased surface area and improved solubility, potent antimicrobial action driven by reactive oxygen species generation, modulation of antioxidant defense systems, immunostimulation through cytokine regulation, and improvements in gut morphology such as increased villus height and epithelial integrity. Nanoencapsulation further enables controlled release and site-specific delivery of bioactive compounds, increasing efficacy and reducing degradation during digestion.

 

3.8 Safety, Toxicity, and Regulatory Challenges

Despite their potential, several safety concerns remain unresolved. High doses of ZnO-NP can induce oxidative stress and accumulate in tissues, while Ag-NP shows the greatest toxicity risk. Cu-NP may interfere with other trace minerals, and Se-NP requires tight dose control due to its narrow margin of safety. Major knowledge gaps include the lack of long-term and multigenerational toxicity studies, insufficient ADME data, uncertain tissue-residue profiles, and limited information on environmental fate in manure. Regulatory frameworks in the EU, USA, and ASEAN treat most nano-feed additives as novel substances requiring extensive safety evaluations, contributing to slow industrial adoption.

 

4. CONCLUSION

 

Nanotechnology-based feed additives have demonstrated substantial potential to improve poultry feed efficiency, antioxidant status, gut health, immune response, and overall growth performance during the last five years. Nano-minerals such as ZnO-NP, Se-NP, and Cu-NP consistently outperform conventional mineral sources due to superior bioavailability and metabolic efficiency. Chitosan nanoparticles act as multifunctional bioactive agents and effective delivery vehicles, while nano-encapsulated essential oils and probiotics offer improved stability and targeted release within the gastrointestinal tract. However, concerns about oxidative stress, tissue accumulation, genotoxicity, and long-term toxicity remain significant barriers to widespread implementation. Harmonized safety assessments, residue monitoring, dose standardization, and regulatory guidelines are essential to ensure responsible and sustainable adoption of nano-enabled feed technology.

 

5. FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS

 

Future research should focus on detailed ADME profiling to clarify nanoparticle biodistribution, metabolism, and excretion, particularly regarding accumulation in edible tissues. Long-term and multigenerational toxicity studies are required to evaluate subtle and cumulative effects on health and reproduction. Dose optimization must be refined in relation to nanoparticle size, charge, coating, and release characteristics. Industrial scalability and feed-processing stability should be systematically evaluated. Stronger collaboration between researchers, industry, and regulatory agencies is needed to formulate global standards for nanoparticle safety, residue limits, and environmental risk assessment. Additionally, the environmental behavior of nanoparticles in poultry litter, soil, and water should be carefully characterized to prevent unintended ecological impacts.

 

6. LIMITATIONS

 

This review is limited by the short duration of most available studies, which restricts insights into long-term or generational effects. Considerable heterogeneity exists in nanoparticle synthesis, particle size, morphology, surface charge, and coating materials, making cross-study comparisons challenging. Many studies also lack comprehensive ADME or residue assessments, leaving unresolved questions regarding food safety. Furthermore, most experiments were conducted in controlled environments that may not fully reflect commercial production conditions.

 

REFERENCES

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