Physiological mechanisms of enhanced osteogenesis of ducks under the influence of bentonite nanoparticles during embryogenesis

This study investigates the effect of a nanosuspension of modified bentonite from the Tarn-Var deposit (Republic of Tatarstan, Russia) on the bone mineral density of ducks when applied to incubation eggs during embryogenesis. The experiment was conducted on 60 Pekin duck eggs, evenly divided into control and experimental groups. The eggs in the experimental group were treated with a 20% bentonite nanosuspension on the 7^th and 13th days of incubation, corresponding to the critical stages of skeletal tissue formation and mineralization [1]. After hatching, 20 ducklings were selected from each group, and radiological analysis was performed on five individuals per group at 3–6 weeks of age. Radiographs were taken in the ventrodorsal projection, followed by digital brightness analysis in 256 grayscale levels and statistical processing of the data (Student’s t-test, p<0.05). The results demonstrated a statistically significant increase in bone mineral density in ducklings from the experimental group across all studied anatomical regions, including the cervical vertebral body and the diaphyses and epiphyses of the humerus, ulna, and femur. The most pronounced effect was observed in the distal epiphysis of the femur (an increase of approximately 13–28% across different age intervals, p<0.01) and in the middiaphyseal region of the femur. The positive trend persisted throughout the observation period (3–6 weeks), indicating a prolonged osteotropic effect of the nanobentonite. The findings confirm the high bioavailability and potential of bentonite nanostructures for stimulating osteogenesis and improving skeletal strength in waterfowl. The method of treating incubation eggs with a bentonite nanosuspension can be considered a promising approach for preventing bone pathologies and for further applied research in veterinary and poultry science.

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