Conventional versus Green ZnO Nanoparticle Pre-treatment Effects on Mucuna pruriens utilis Seed Potential Nutritional Value for Beef Cattle

Abstract

The utility of Mucuna pruriens utilis seed meal (MSM) in beef cattle nutrition is limited by high fibre content and antinutritional factors. Hence, this study investigated conventional (CNano- ZnO) and green (G-Nano-ZnO) ZnO nanoparticle pre-treatment effects (0, 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 mg/kg) on the legume's nutritional composition and in vitro ruminal fermentation. Both nanoparticle types differentially increased DM, OM, and EE (P 0.05), except for increased 12 h post-incubation gas production rate induced by 20 mg/kg G-Nano-ZnO (P < 0.001) and decreased immediately degradable DM fraction a (P < 0 .001) and 12 h post-incubation cumulative gas production (P < 0.001) induced by, respectively, 20 mg/kg G-Nano-ZnO and 15 mg/kg C-Nano-ZnO. Interestingly, both nanoparticle types increased in vitro ruminal OM degradability and partitioning factors (P < 0.001), with 20 mg/kg G-Nano-ZnO inducing greater effects. In conclusion, pre-treatment with 20 mg/kg G-Nano-ZnO mostly enhanced potential nutritional value of MSM.