Role of Different Growth Enhancers as Alternative to In-feed Antibiotics in Poultry Industry

Abstract

The poultry industry has grown so fast alongside the irrational use of antibiotics to maximize profit and make the production cost-effective during the last few decades. The rising and indiscriminate use of antibiotics might result in the deposition of residues in poultry food products and in the development of resistance to these drugs by microorganisms. Therefore, many diseases are becoming difficult to treat both in humans and animals. In addition, the use of low-dose antibiotics as growth enhancer results in antibiotic residues in food products, which have detrimental effects on human health. On the other hand, many studies have shown that antibiotics administered to poultry and livestock are poorly absorbed through the gut and usually excreted without metabolism. These excreted antibiotics eventually accumulate in the environment and enter the human food chain, resulting in the bioaccumulation of drug residues in the human body. In this regard, to find out alternatives is of paramount importance for the production of safe meat and egg. Therefore, in recent years, much research attention was disarticulated toward the exploration for alternatives to antibiotic as in-feed growth enhancers after its ban by the EU. As a result, probiotics, prebiotics, phytobiotics, spirulina, symbiotic, and their combination are being used more frequently in poultry production. Feed additives therefore gained popularity in poultry production by having many advantages but without any residues in poultry products. In addition, numerous studies demonstrating that such biological supplements compete with antimicrobial resistance have been conducted. Therefore, the purpose of this review article was to highlight the advantages of using biological products instead of antibiotics as poultry in-feed growth enhancers to enhance the production performance, reduce intestinal pathogenic bacteria, and maintain gut health, potentiating the immune response, safety, and wholesomeness of meat and eggs as evidence of consumer protection, as well as to improve the safety of poultry products for human consumption.

Betaine: A Potential Nutritional Metabolite in the Poultry Industry

“…However, antibiotic overuse negatively impacts the balance of the normal gut microbiome along with the accumulation of antimicrobial residues in tissue and the presence of new strains of drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria [ 2 ]. Therefore, many potential feed alternatives have been investigated to substitute antibiotics as growth and health enhancers, immune stimulants, and antimicrobials [ 3 , 4 ]. Among different substitutes, phytogenic feed additives have been widely used to boost immunity and relieve stress [ 5 ].…”

The different trends in the burden of neurological and mental disorders following dietary transition in China, the USA, and the world: An extension analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

“…Compared to traditional grassfed beef with undisturbed gut microbiota, modern grain-fed beef had more saturated fatty acids and less omega-3 PUFA, conjugated linoleic acid, β-carotene, α-tocopherol, vitamin B12, iron, zinc, and glutathione (136)(137)(138). Researchers have been seeking more sustainable alternatives to antibiotics for decades, and probiotics and prebiotics could be a suitable one (139). Probiotics or/and prebiotic supplementation enhanced the immunity of the animal, increased feed digestibility, promoted the growth and reproductive performance, improved the yield and quality of meat, milk, and eggs, increased the content of free amino acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, decreased the content of saturated fatty acids, triglyceride, and cholesterol (140)(141)(142)(143)(144)(145)(146), and reduced the noxious gas emission including ammonia and sulfuretted hydrogen (147) and harmful substance accumulation such as chromium (146).…”

The effect of residual antibiotics in food on intestinal microbiota: a systematic review

“…Furthermore, some antibiotics prescribed in poultry and livestock are usually not absorbed from the intestines and are mostly excreted without being converted into metabolites (Rafiq et al, 2022). Some sulfonamide antibiotics, including sulfadimidine, sulfamethazine, and sulfadiazine, are completely metabolized and removed from the animal's body.…”

“…Pharmaceuticals are similar to organic compounds found in the environment and are currently classified as contaminants (Abed and Faisal, 2022). Therefore, these components may enter the human food chain from the environment (Rafiq et al, 2022). Some antibiotics in the environment are absorbed by plants, and even some antibiotics accumulate in the plant body (Riley et al, 2013).…”