The Application of Zinc Oxide in The Feed Industry

Zinc oxide is primarily used in the feed industry as an efficient anti-diarrheal additive and zinc supplement, particularly playing a pivotal role in weaning piglet feed. It reduces diarrhea rates by regulating intestinal barrier function, inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria, and improving intestinal health. Meanwhile, new modified zinc oxide products (such as nano-zinc oxide, coated zinc oxide, etc.) are gradually replacing traditional high-dose zinc oxide, achieving efficiency improvement with reduced dosage and environmental protection.

1. Core application areas 1. Traditional application of anti-diarrhea during piglet weaning: During the first two weeks after piglet weaning, adding 2250-3000mg/kg feed-grade zinc oxide (calculated as zinc element) to the feed can effectively reduce the diarrhea rate and improve growth performance12. Its mechanism of action includes: antibacterial and bacteriostatic effects: disrupting bacterial cell membranes, denaturing bacterial proteins, and inhibiting the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli; improving intestinal barrier function: increasing the ratio of intestinal villus height to crypt depth, promoting the expression of tight junction proteins (such as Occludin and ZO-1), and reducing intestinal permeability; regulating intestinal flora: increasing the number of beneficial bacteria such as lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, and reducing the number of pathogenic bacteria such as enterobacteria and enterococci; novel alternative solutions: in response to environmental protection requirements and to reduce zinc emissions, new zinc oxide products significantly reduce usage doses: nano zinc oxide: adding 500-1500mg/kg can achieve anti-diarrheal effects comparable to 3000mg/kg of ordinary zinc oxide, with higher bioavailability and less environmental impact; coated/encapsulated zinc oxide: coated with enteric-soluble materials, making zinc oxide almost insoluble in the stomach (2h gastric pass rate ≥95%), gradually released in the intestine, and can replace 2-3kg/t of ordinary zinc oxide with 1-1.5kg/t; porous zinc oxide: 750-1500mg/kg can significantly reduce the diarrhea rate in piglets, while also reducing fecal zinc emissions; poultry feed application: adding 50-100g/ton of feed-grade zinc oxide to laying hen feed helps maintain feather growth and egg production performance; in broiler feed, zinc oxide can improve intestinal health and increase feed conversion efficiency, but it is important to control the addition amount to avoid affecting the absorption of other trace elements; ruminant feed: adult dairy cows supplemented with 50-100g/ton of feed-grade zinc oxide or 2-3g/head/day can improve rumen function and milk quality; zinc oxide improves fiber digestibility and nitrogen utilization efficiency by regulating the balance of rumen microorganisms; aquatic feed: the zinc content in aquatic feed needs to reach 50-100mg/kg to meet the growth needs of fish and crustaceans; zinc oxide in aquatic feed not only provides essential zinc elements but also improves intestinal health and enhances disease resistance; 2. Technical advantages of new zinc oxide products: 1. Nano zinc oxide physical properties: particle size 1-100nm, specific surface area up to 60m²/g, about 19 times that of ordinary zinc oxide; mechanism of action: enhances biological activity through volume effect and surface effect; produces H₂O₂ under UV/visible light activation to destroy bacterial cell walls and interact with plant lactobacilli, regulating intestinal microecological balance; application effect: 500mg/kg of nano zinc oxide can significantly reduce the diarrhea rate in piglets, improve serum antioxidant capacity, and significantly reduce fecal zinc content compared to ordinary zinc oxide; 2. Coated/encapsulated zinc oxide technical principle: uses enteric-soluble polymer materials as coating materials, embedding nano zinc oxide in release-promoting materials to form particles; characteristics: high gastric pass rate: simulated gastric fluid 2h gastric pass rate ≥95%; targeted release: 6h small intestine release rate ≥95%, ensuring zinc oxide molecules exert astringent effects in the intestine; high utilization rate: under the same addition amount, the amount of molecular zinc oxide provided in the small intestine is 2-3 times that of ordinary zinc oxide; application effect: 1-1.5kg/t can replace 2-3kg/t of ordinary zinc oxide, improve daily weight gain and feed intake of piglets, while reducing feed zinc content to 500-1000ppm; 3. Porous zinc oxide physical properties: mean particle length about 70μm, specific surface area 37.57m²/g, 19.7 times that of ordinary zinc oxide; mechanism of action: reduces intestinal permeability by increasing intestinal tissue impedance; inhibits miR-122a expression, upregulates the expression of Occludin and ZO-1 in intestinal epithelial cell gaps; reduces the expression of aquaporin AQP3, reducing intracellular water leakage into the intestinal lumen; application effect: 750-1500mg/kg can significantly reduce the diarrhea rate in piglets, promote growth, and significantly reduce fecal zinc content