Antimicrobial growth promoters in chicken health
As the world’s population grows, so does the demand for food.
In countries with higher socioeconomic status, there is a shift toward meat and high-quality foods, with chicken becoming an increasingly popular source of protein.
However, the use of antibiotics and the shift to a dysbiotic diet in poultry production can have consequences not only for animal health, but also for human consumers. Studies have shown that the gut microbiome plays an important role in regulating host health and metabolism.
A balance of the microbiota is critical for proper functioning, but can be disrupted by factors such as antibiotic use and diet. In poultry production, this can lead to negative impacts on animal and human health.
These concerns highlight the importance of considering both agricultural practices and consumer choices in promoting a healthy gut microbiome.
The authors Vipin Chandra Kalia, Woo Yong Shim, Sanjay Kumar Singh Patel, Chunjie Gong, and Jung-Kul Lee discuss this further in their article: Recent developments in antimicrobial growth promoters in chicken health: Opportunities and challenges, dated 15 August 2022.
Findings:
- With a continuously increasing human population is an increasing global demand for food.
- People in countries with a higher socioeconomic status tend to switch their preferences from grains to meat and high-value foods.
- Their preference for chicken as a source of protein has grown by 70% over the last three decades.
- Many studies have shown the role of feed in regulating the animal gut microbiome and its impact on host health.
- The microbiome absorbs nutrients, digests foods, induces a mucosal immune response, maintains homeostasis, and regulates bioactive metabolites. These metabolic activities are influenced by the microbiota and diet. An imbalance in microbiota affects host physiology and progressively causes disorders and diseases.
- With the use of antibiotics, a shift from dysbiosis with a higher density of pathogens to homeostasis can occur. However, the progressive use of higher doses of antibiotics proved harmful and resulted in the emergence of multidrug-resistant microbes.
Abstract
With a continuously increasing human population is an increasing global demand for food.
People in countries with a higher socioeconomic status tend to switch their preferences from grains to meat and high-value foods.
Their preference for chicken as a source of protein has grown by 70% over the last three decades.
Many studies have shown the role of feed in regulating the animal gut microbiome and its impact on host health. The microbiome absorbs nutrients, digests foods, induces a mucosal immune response, maintains homeostasis, and regulates bioactive metabolites. These metabolic activities are influenced by the microbiota and diet. An imbalance in microbiota affects host physiology and progressively causes disorders and diseases.
With the use of antibiotics, a shift from dysbiosis with a higher density of pathogens to homeostasis can occur. However, the progressive use of higher doses of antibiotics proved harmful and resulted in the emergence of multidrug-resistant microbes.
As a result, the use of antibiotics as feed additives has been banned.
Researchers, regulatory authorities, and managers in the poultry industry have assessed the challenges associated with these restrictions.
Research has sought to identify alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters for poultry that do not have any adverse effects. Modulating the host intestinal microbiome by regulating dietary factors is much easier than manipulating host genetics. Research efforts have led to the identification of feed additives, including bacteriocins, immunostimulants, organic acids, phytogenics, prebiotics, probiotics, phytoncides, and bacteriophages. In contrast to focusing on one or more of these alternative bioadditives, an improved feed conversion ratio with enhanced poultry products is possible by employing a combination of feed additives.
This article may be helpful in future research towards developing a sustainable poultry industry through the use of the proposed alternatives.
Keywords: Antibiotics; Bacteriophages; Chicken microbiome; Phytobiotics; Prebiotics; Probiotics.
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