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Probiotics and prebiotics in poultry nutrition
Under normal circumstances, there is a delicate balance of beneficial and pathogenic bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). This is influenced by symbiotic and competitive interactions and relationships. The microbial communities will not only protect the GIT but also enhance productivity in the host. The use of probiotics and prebiotics are two approaches that have been examined and can potentially reduce enteric diseases in poultry and also enhance their productivity. These substances have been proposed to assist in the prevention of carcass contamination and improve the immune response in the chicken. Probiotics have been defined as 'a live microbial feed supplement which beneficially affects the host animal by improving its intestinal balance' (Fuller, 1989). The probiotic mode of action is by 'competitive exclusion', meaning there is competition for attachment sites in the GIT.
Necrotic Enteritis (NE), primarily caused by Clostridium perfringens , stands as one of the most devastating gastrointestinal pathologies in modern poultry production, with global economic losses estimated at approximately US$6 billion annually. Beyond its high clinical mortality rates,...
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I. INTRODUCTION Since the ban on using antibiotics (AGP) as growth promoters in the EU in 2006, gut health has become a growing concern. As described by Conway in 1994, the gut health concept is based on three components: the diet, the microbiota, and the gut mucosa. All three components interact to maintain a dynamic equilibrium that ensures proper functioning of the digestive system without pathology. However, this equilibrium is fragile and can be affected by factors such as how...
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May 5, 2026
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Avian salmonellosis remains a critical challenge for the global poultry industry, particularly in regions where intensive production coexists with traditional farming. In this comprehensive review, authors Pablo A. Chacana and Horacio R. Terzolo explore the evolving landscape of Pullorum Disease and Fowl Typhoid, emphasizing new diagnostic and preventive approaches for these long-standing bacterial threats. This work, originating from the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA)...
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Mike Persia (Virginia Tech) explains the performance benefits of supplementing direct-fed microbials to laying hens, as observed in his research, in this Engormix interview at IPPE 2026 in Atlanta. ...
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Vivek Kuttappan (Cargill) shared his research on the beneficial effects of postbiotics and phytogenics on mitigating APEC severity in laying hens, during this Engormix interview at IPPE 2026 in Atlanta. ...
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Lukas Bauer, Portfolio Development Manager at Evonik Animal Nutrition, explores how spore germination and outgrowth determine probiotic function after ingestion. The discussion also highlights insights from a new in-vitro digestion model and explains why the timing of outgrowth is critical when managing gut health and disease risk in poultry production. ...
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Anita Menconi, Regional Business Director, Specialty Nutrition, Americas at Evonik, explains how this probiotic simplifies life for feed manufacturers and producers. From operational ease to compatibility with AGPs and anticoccidials in complex feed programs, she breaks down why flexibility and stability matter in real-world production systems. ...
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Héctor Leyva-Jiménez (United Animal Health) shares his research on the impact of probiotics on fly populations in poultry farms, in this Engormix interview at IPPE 2026 in Atlanta. ...
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FIGAP 2026: The Scientific And Technological Exhibition Of The Livestock Industry
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Mueez Ahmad (Arm & Hammer) discusses the increasing costs of this disease in the poultry industry and offers advice on how to control it, in this Engormix interview at IPPE 2026 in Atlanta. ...
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Brief project summary Many alternative feed ingredients and by-products from agri-food industries often remain underutilized due to their abundance in dietary fibre or the lack of realization of their nutritional value and bioactive properties. This research aims to investigate the potential of novel prebiotic-type ingredients in promoting the health and development of the gastrointestinal tract in broiler chickens and laying hens, thereby establishing them as valuable bioactive...
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Fernanda Castro (Cargill) explains how microbiome intelligence technology can help assess the flock's status and then choose the best strategy. As an example, she presented research on crude protein levels of diets during this Engormix interview at IPPE 2026 in Atlanta. ...
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Manuel Da Costa (Cargill) comments on advances in nutritional solutions using postbiotics and phythogenics, and how microbiome analysis helps identify opportunities or specific issues to address, during this Engormix interview at IPPE 2026 in Atlanta. ...
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Lukas Bauer (Evonik Animal Nutrition) explains how targeted probiotic functions help stabilize gut microbiota when antibiotic growth promoters are removed. He details how improved microbial resilience supports digestibility, uniformity, and performance under high-pressure conditions. ...
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At Poultry India 2025, Lukas Bauer (Evonik Animal Nutrition) explains how a solution enhances gut health for optimal poultry performance. The solution supports producers facing modern production challenges with consistent and reliable results. ...
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1. Introduction The gastrointestinal tract is a dynamic and complex environment that requires a correlation between the gut microbiota and the host for good functionality [1–3]. The composition of the gut microbiota changes throughout the life of the animal or due to various factors like the environment, behavior, and diets [4]. Studies indicate a strong correlation between intestinal diseases and the constitution of the microbiota [1,2]. A healthy gut is an essential...
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INTRODUCTION Antibiotics as growth promoters have brought about important achievements in poultry production output worldwide (Mehdi et al., 2018). Antibiotic usage in animal feeds has brought about a change in intestinal flora of chickens, and influenced their immunity with an increased capacity to control diseases (Lee et al., 2012). However, the uncontrolled and indiscriminate usage of antibiotics has resulted in antibiotic-resistant bacteria and an increased incidence of...
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In this Engormix interview, Michael Joseph, Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist at NC State University, discusses the use of various combinations of feed additives to maintain gut health and how technology and precision nutrition can contribute. ...
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Introduction Protein besides biologically active compound in the body exists as enzymes & hormones, also plays important role in physiology of living organisms. Soybean meal (SBM) is complete conventional protein source with well-balanced amino acids profile. On the other hand due to increase in prices of SBM, alternative sources like groundnut cake, sunflower meal, guar meal, rapeseed cake, cotton seed cake, copra meal, maize gluten, DDGS etc. are used, but they have...
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I. INTRODUCTION The basis for effective control of Salmonella infections in poultry production is good farm management and hygienic practices as well as testing and elimination of positive flocks in some countries. While many different measures have been recommended in meat chicken farms, vaccination with live-attenuated vaccines is likely to have a central role in the reduction of Salmonella in commercial operations by increasing the passive immunity of birds and...
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Footpad dermatitis (FPD) is considered an animal welfare issue. Wet and sticky litter are major causes of FPD (Taira et al., 2014). Our previous study showed that a well selected probiotic strain Bacillus subtilis 29784 can improve broiler performance by modulating intestinal microbiota and intestinal inflammatory status (Ghane et al., 2017; Jacquier et al., 2016). We hypothesize that the previous demonstrated benefits of B. subtilis 29784 on gut health will improve litter quality and may...
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