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Journal for Veterinary Medicine, Biotechnology and Biosafety

Volume 12, Issue 1, February 2026, Pages 39–46

ISSN 2411-3174 (print version) ISSN 2411-0388 (online version)

TOXICOKINETICS OF ZINC IN RATS AFTER A SINGLE ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF ZINC CARBONATE NANOPARTICLES

Koshevoy V. I. ¹, Naumenko S. V. ¹, Zhukova I. O. ¹, Bespalova I. I. ², Yefimova S. L. ²

¹ State Biotechnological University, Kharkiv, Ukraine, e-mail: koshevoyvsevolod@gmail.com

² Institute for Scintillation Materials of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kharkiv, Ukraine

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Citation for print version: Koshevoy, V. I., Naumenko, S. V., Zhukova, I. O., Bespalova, I. I. and Yefimova, S. L. (2026) ‘Toxicokinetics of zinc in rats after a single oral administration of zinc carbonate nanoparticles’, Journal for Veterinary Medicine, Biotechnology and Biosafety, 12(1), pp. 39–46.

Download PDF (online version)

Citation for online version: Koshevoy, V. I., Naumenko, S. V., Zhukova, I. O., Bespalova, I. I. and Yefimova, S. L. (2026) ‘Toxicokinetics of zinc in rats after a single oral administration of zinc carbonate nanoparticles’, Journal for Veterinary Medicine, Biotechnology and Biosafety, 12(1), pp. 39–46. DOI: 10.36016/JVMBBS-2026-12-1-5.

Summary. Creating modern feed additives based on biologically active nanomaterials is an important area of research for improving mineral metabolism in animals and poultry. A significant amount of research focuses on developing zinc nanoparticles with a wide range of pharmacological effects. However, most zinc nanocomposites are toxic, even in low doses, and can accumulate in the body, leading to long-term adverse effects. To address this issue, zinc carbonate nanoparticles stabilized with polyvinylpyrrolidone were synthesized and found to be non-toxic. The study aimed to advance preclinical research on the toxicokinetics of these nanoparticles by conducting an acute toxicity experiment. To this end, 96 male Wistar rats were administered a single oral dose of a colloidal zinc carbonate nanoparticle solution at the following doses: 50 mg/kg b. w. (group I), 500 mg/kg b. w. (group II), and 5,000 mg/kg b. w. (group III), based on the absolute mass of the drug. The toxicokinetic profile of the studied nanoparticles showed typical dynamics of changes in zinc content in the organs and tissues of rats — an increase in the level of this microelement in the blood (only in experimental group III on the 1^st day after administration of nanoparticles by 17.5%), liver (on the 1^st day in experimental group II by 18.5% and in experimental group III by 52.1%; subsequently, changes were observed only after administration of the maximum dose of the drug — on the 3^rd day by 30.7%, on the 7^th and 14^th days, there was a tendency to increase) and kidneys (by 25.0% in experimental group II and by 36.2% in experimental group III on the 1^st day after administration of nanoparticles, on the 3^rd day in experimental group II it was higher by 14.9% in experimental group III by 15.9%, on the 7^th day of the experiment, the zinc content remained higher than the control values by 13.4% in experimental group II and by 17.7% in experimental group III). Regardless of the dose of administered nanoparticles, zinc did not accumulate in the heart, muscles, or skin with hair. By day 14, the zinc levels in all of the rats’ examined organs and tissues were similar to those of the control group. No significant changes in zinc content were observed in experimental group I throughout the experiment. Therefore, zinc carbonate nanoparticles are safe regarding toxicokinetic parameters and do not cause long-term accumulation

Keywords: toxicity, distribution, organs, tissues

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