Bone quality and mineral retention in broilers supplemented with copper nanoparticles as a growth promoter

• Grant number: 25/04470-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Felipe Dilelis de Resende Sousa
• Grantee: Mateus Tinelli Menegalle
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the addition of different concentrations of copper nanoparticles (CuNP) to the diet of broiler chickens challenged with the protozoan genus Eimeria, evaluating the impact of this supplement on performance parameters, nutrient digestibility, mineral retention, and bone quality and strength. For this purpose, 336 one-day-old male Cobb 500 chicks will be housed in metabolic cages for 21 days, allocated into 6 treatments: CN - Non-challenged control; CC - Control challenged with Eimeria vaccine; CP - CC + 200 mg/kg of copper sulfate; NP25 - CC + 25 mg/kg of CuNP; NP50 - CC + 50 mg/kg of CuNP; NP100 - CC + 100 mg/kg of CuNP. Each treatment will be replicated eight times, totaling 48 experimental units, with 7 birds per cage in a randomized block design. Data will be subjected to analysis of variance using SAS software, with a 5% probability criterion, and group means will be compared using Tukey's test. It is expected that the use of copper nanoparticles in the diet at a level lower than 200 mg/kg, as is commonly used for copper sulfate (CuSO4), will have positive impacts on performance, bone quality, and mineral retention in birds challenged with Eimeria, demonstrating a viable alternative to reduce the use of antibiotics and the excretion of Cu into the environment.