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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.
Introduction Since January 2006, there is a total banning of antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) in animal feeding in the European Union (EU). Despite being a controversial subject because there is both, information for and against it, the Scientific Steering Committee of the European Commission proposed a ban on AGP based on the "precautionary principle". As of 2012 the use of salinomycin and monensin will also be...
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Poultry infected with the parasite Eimeria maxima usually develop avian coccidiosis, a disease estimated to cost producers globally more than $1.2 billion every year. So Agricultural Research Service (ARS) immunologist Hyun Lillehoj has been working with colleagues in ARS and around the world to find dietary supplements that strengthen the poultry immune system.
Lillehoj, at the ARS Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., cooperated on the research with...
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Feed borne antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) have been fed to livestock in the US and other countries for about 50 years to improve growth performance. Early indications of improved performance in poultry were reported by Moore et al. (1946). However, most of the AGP labels list no specific claims to control disease. Debate over the generation of antibiotic resistance among bacteria such as Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) and Salmonella has generated the...
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