Table 2 Current and future applications of nanotechnology in animal production with their advantages and limitations
From: Current and future prospects for nanotechnology in animal production
| Â | Advantages | Limitations | References |
|---|---|---|---|
Current applications | Â | Â | Â |
 Medical diagnostics | - disease diagnosis and prognosis - small sample volume requirements - faster sample analyses; faster action time - suitable for field use | - greater sample preparation measures - sensitivity concerns from small sample sizes - device pricing | |
 Medical supplies | - antibacterial wound dressings - prevention of catheter-caused infections - inhibits biofilm formation | - patient sensitivities and allergies - potential free radical formation | |
 Food safety | - contaminant and pathogen identification and indication - contamination prevention | - food and food packaging safety concerns | |
 Biocides | - alternatives to antibiotics and conventional cleaners - internal and external uses - antimicrobial coatings - multi-purpose (i.e. bactericidal and growth promoting) | - little in vivo evidence to support many internal applications demonstrated in vitro - cytotoxicity | |
Future applications | Â | Â | Â |
 Nutraceuticals | - increased nutrient bioavailability - extra support for weanlings - growth and performance enhancement - solution for nutrient deficiencies | - nanoparticles must be not be degraded in the GI tract before absorption in the intestines | |
 Nutrient delivery systems | - increased nutrient bioavailability - extra support for weanlings - growth and performance enhancement | - carrier system must be designed to withstand GI tract challenges - bioaccumulation - biocompatibility concerns | |
 Therapeutics | - alternatives to antibiotics - enhanced pathogen/organ targeting | - biocompatibility considerations - efficacy against different pathogens - relative MIC | |
 Drug delivery systems | - platforms to enhance drug specificity and delivery - reduce MIC and kill antibiotic-resistant strains of pathogens | - biocompatibility considerations - potential for bodily accumulation - confidence in specificity | |
 Medical Imaging | - additional modes of tracing organ systems and tracking drug therapies in the body | - depth of tissue - biocompatibility considerations | |
 Nanopurification of sperm | - isolate desired sperm based on biomarkers (i.e. healthy from unhealthy) - increase fertilization efficiency, more females fertilized from a single collection | - biomarker library to be developed - purebred restrictions on artificial insemination | |
 Cryopreservation of sperm | - sperm preserved for longer - protecting against freeze-thaw cycles - to replace antibiotics from extenders; lower risk of reduced sperm motility | - spermatotoxicity - oocyte toxicity | |
 Genetic manipulation | - can carry DNA of interest from cytoplasm into cell nucleus - benefits to sperm-mediated gene transfer approach - transduction replacement strategy (no viruses involved in DNA administration) | - cytotoxicity - must not disturb cellular functioning |