The Role of Nutraceuticals and Phytonutrients in Chickens’ Gastrointestinal Diseases

Abstract

In poultry, severe gastrointestinal diseases are caused by bacteria and coccidia, with important economic losses in the poultry industry and requirement of treatments which, for years, were based on the use of antibiotics and chemotherapies. Furthermore, Salmonella spp., Clostridium perfringens, and Campylobacter jejuni can cause serious foodborne diseases in people, resulting from consumption of poultry meat, eggs, and derived products. With the spread of antibiotic resistance, which affects both animals and humans, the restriction of antibiotic use in livestock production and the identification of a list of “critically important antimicrobials” became necessary. For this reason, researchers focused on natural compounds and effective alternatives to prevent gastrointestinal disease in poultry. This review summarizes the results of several studies published in the last decade, describing the use of different nutraceutical or phytonutrients in poultry industry. The results of the use of these products are not always encouraging. While some of the alternatives have proven to be very promising, further studies will be needed to verify the efficacy and practical applicability of other compounds.

Supplementation of ginger root extract into broiler chicken diet: effects on growth performance and immunocompetence

“…The poultry industry is growing at a fast pace, but such growth is limited by challenges caused by diseases of economic importance such as salmonellosis and infectious bronchitis ( Agunos et al, 2016 ; Fasina et al, 2021 ; Adetunji et al, 2022 ; Biagini et al, 2022 ). Most especially, they affect humans through the consumption of undercooked eggs or poultry meat and other products ( Kimura et al, 2004 ; Feye et al, 2020 ).…”

Addition of a protected complex of biofactors and antioxidants to breeder hen diets confers transgenerational protection against Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis in progeny chicks

“…Recent reviews highlight studies showing the effectiveness of antibiotic alternatives ( Mehdi et al, 2018 ) and the important role of gut health in poultry ( Adedokun and Olojede, 2019 ). Moreover, addition of feed additives to the diet can be one component of a comprehensive preharvest food safety regime to reduce the instance of foodborne pathogens, including Salmonella , entering the food chain ( Jeni et al, 2021 ; Biagini et al, 2022 ). Adult chickens that are infected with S .…”

The rise of antibiotic resistance in Campylobacter

“…In response, many countries have restricted the use of antibiotics in the livestock and poultry industries, though with no apparent change in the prevalence of multidrug resistant C. jejuni and C. coli [2 ▪▪ ,16,17 ▪ ]. Efforts are also being made to develop new ways to eliminate or reduce the economic harm of Campylobacter infections; for example, as a suitable replacement of the antimicrobial agents, the mixture of eugenol and trans-cinnamaldehyde could promote the growth of broiler chickens [18].…”