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Changes in Small Intestinal Morphology and Digestive Enzyme Activity with Oral Administration of Copper-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles in Rats

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Abstract

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of copper-loaded chitosan nanoparticles on the small intestinal morphology and activities of digestive enzyme and mucosal disaccharase in rats. Forty male Sprague–Dawley rats, with average body weight of 82 g, were randomly allotted to five groups (n = 8). All rats were received a basal diet (control) or the same basal diet added with 80 mg/kg BW CuSO4, 80 mg/kg BW chitosan (CS-I), 80 mg/kg BW copper-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CSN-I), 160 mg/kg BW copper-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CSN-II), respectively. The experiment lasted 21 days. The results showed that the villus heights of the small intestinal mucosa in groups CSN-I and CSN-II were higher than those of the control, group CuSO4 or CS-I. The crypt depth of duodenum and ileum mucosa in group CSN-I or CSN-II was depressed. Compared with the control, there were no significant effects of CuSO4 or CS-I on the villus height and crypt depth of small intestinal mucosa. Supplementation with CSN improved the activities of trypsin, amylase and lipase in the small intestinal contents and maltase, sucrase and lactase of duodenum, jejunum, and ileum mucosa while there were no significant effects of CuSO4 on the digestive enzyme activities of the small content compared with the control. The results indicated that intestinal morphology, activities of digestive enzyme in digesta and mucosal disaccharase were beneficially changed by treatment of copper-loaded chitosan nanoparticles.

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Abbreviations

CS:

Chitosan

CSN:

Copper-loaded chitosan nanoparticles

DL-BAPA:

Benzoyl-dl-arginine-p-nitotroanilide

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the Science and Technology Department of Zhejiang Province, China (grant no. 2008C22037). The authors thank Ying-Lei Xu and Xia Jiang for their skillful technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory for Molecular Animal Nutrition of Ministry of Education, Feed Science Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, People’s Republic of China

    Xin-Yan Han, Wen-Li Du, Zi-Rong Xu & Yi-Zheng Wang

  2. Key Laboratory for Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology of Fujian Universities, College of Life Science, Longyan University, Longyan, 364000, People’s Republic of China

    Qi-Chun Huang

  3. Feed Science Institute, College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Qiutao North Road 164, Hangzhou, 310029, People’s Republic of China

    Xin-Yan Han

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  1. Xin-Yan Han
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  2. Wen-Li Du
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Correspondence to Xin-Yan Han.

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Han, XY., Du, WL., Huang, QC. et al. Changes in Small Intestinal Morphology and Digestive Enzyme Activity with Oral Administration of Copper-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles in Rats. Biol Trace Elem Res 145, 355–360 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-011-9191-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-011-9191-x

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