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Recent Insights into Feed Additives: Alternatives of Growth Promoters in Livestock

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A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 December 2021) | Viewed by 39757

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. In Ho Kim

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Guest Editor

Department of Animal Resource & Science, Dankook University, No.29 Anseodong, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
Interests: swine nutrition; liquid feeding program; feed additive; dietary probiotic blend
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Balamuralikrishnan Balasubramanian

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Guest Editor

Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-ro, Gunja-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Interests: animal science; bioactive compounds of natural products; biomedical; nutrients; metabolites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Shanmugam Sureshkumar

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Guest Editor

Department of Animal Resource & Science, Dankook University, No.29 Anseodong, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
Interests: alternative feed additive; probiotics; organic acid; oral administration; chickens
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Modern animal husbandry imposes several stress conditions that are associated with a negative impact on physiological, immunological, and biological properties of the animal’s gastrointestinal tract. The increase of antimicrobial resistance, a major threat at a global scale, has attracted attention from researchers, particularly in studies on the development of effective alternatives to antimicrobials. In this scenario, it is mandatory to develop antibiotic-free diets for domestic animals including ruminant and non-ruminant animals. An important effort has been made to identify the alternatives to antibiotics as growth promoters in the livestock industry. In this 21st century, several feed additives are used as a substitute for antibiotics as growth promoters such as probiotics, prebiotics, organic acids, and phytogenic and these feed additives have recently gained more interest, especially in swine, poultry cattle, goats, and sheep production. alternatives to antibiotics feed additives represent a relevant source of bioactive and functional compounds eliciting beneficial health effects in humans and animals. Substances of alternatives to antibiotics feed additives, included in the animal diets, can exert antimicrobial effects, directly or indirectly, through different mechanisms of action and can be considered a valid strategy for the control of the diseases or to guarantee the health status of animals.

For this special issue, we invite original research papers covering any aspects of alternatives to antibiotics feed additives; nutrition of ruminant and non-ruminant animal. The interrelations between nutrition, health and the environment will also be covered with both in vitro and in vivo studies, meat quality, nutritional effect and performance criteria. Additional topic mat includes, Animal Products: growth promotion properties, muscle biology, product composition, food safety, food security, and functional foods.

Prof. In Ho Kim
Prof. Balamuralikrishnan Balasubramanian
Prof. Shanmugam Sureshkumar
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Feed Additives
Antibiotics as growth promoters
Probiotics
Prebiotics
Essential Oil
Feeding System
Ruminant animal
Non-ruminant animals

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 260 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Jojoba Seed Oil as Feed Additive for Sustainable Broiler Meat Production under Hot Climatic Conditions

by Ahmed A. A. Abdel-Wareth, Muhammad Mobashar, Anwar Shah and Abu Bakkar Sadiq

Animals 2022, 12(3), 273; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12030273 - 22 Jan 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2735

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of dietary addition of jojoba seed oil on productive performance, physicochemical attributes and carcass quality of broiler meat under tropical weather conditions. A total of 384 one-day-old Ross-308 were subdivided into four dietary treatments of jojoba seed oil: 0, 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg of control diet. Each treatment group included twelve replicates with eight birds each. The results showed that dietary supplementation of jojoba seed oil linearly increased (p < 0.01) feed intake, body weight gain and improved (p < 0.01) feed conversion ratio. Interestingly, diets supplemented with jojoba seed oil linearly (p < 0.05) improved the percentage of dressing and reduced abdominal fat percentage compared to the control group. Dietary supplementation of jojoba seed oil showed no effects (p ≥ 0.05) on the weight of internal organs, including liver, heart, gizzard, spleen and pancreas of broiler chickens. Increasing jojoba seed oil levels in the diet decreased (p < 0.001) percentages of cook and drip losses of breast and leg (drumstick and thigh) muscles of broilers. It was concluded that jojoba seed oil used as a feed additive up to 150 mg/kg improves growth performance and meat quality of broiler chickens in tropical weather conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Insights into Feed Additives: Alternatives of Growth Promoters in Livestock)

13 pages, 3302 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Administration of Dietary Microalgae Ameliorates Intestinal Parameters, Improves Body Weight, and Reduces Thawing Loss of Fillets in Broiler Chickens: A Pilot Study

by Miroslava Anna Šefcová, Francisco Santacruz, César Marcelo Larrea-Álvarez, Christian Vinueza-Burgos, David Ortega-Paredes, Gabriel Molina-Cuasapaz, Jessica Rodríguez, William Calero-Cáceres, Viera Revajová, Esteban Fernández-Moreira and Marco Larrea-Álvarez

Animals 2021, 11(12), 3601; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11123601 - 19 Dec 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4357

Abstract

This pilot investigation aimed at studying the feasibility of using a low dose (0.2%) of dietary microalgae as a means of improving intestinal morphometry, body weight, and selected meat quality parameters in broilers. A total of 72 one-day-old ROSS 308 male chicks were randomly separated into four groups; three experimental pens in which the birds were fed with biomass from Tysochrysis lutea, Tetraselmis chuii, and Porphyridium cruentum over 30 days and a control group. T. chuii and P. cruentum had a positive effect with regard to body weight. In treated animals, duodenal and ileal sections showed characteristic tall and thin villi, with serrated surfaces and goblet cell differentiation. In both sections, values of the villus-height-to-crypt-depth ratio were increased by microalgae ingestion. The thawing weight loss of fillets was reduced in T. chuii-fed animals. The positive effects exerted by T. chuii and P. cruentum on intestinal architecture were associated with the improved body weight. Arguably, these outcomes exhibit the potential of using these species to enhance growth performance in broiler chickens by promoting gut homeostasis and thus nutrient absorption. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Insights into Feed Additives: Alternatives of Growth Promoters in Livestock)

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13 pages, 6441 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Dietary Supplementation of Algae-Derived Polysaccharides on Morphology, Tight Junctions, Antioxidant Capacity and Immune Response of Duodenum in Broilers under Heat Stress

by Wen-Chao Liu, Yan-Ru Zhu, Zhi-Hui Zhao, Ping Jiang and Fu-Quan Yin

Animals 2021, 11(8), 2279; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11082279 - 2 Aug 2021

Cited by 39 | Viewed by 3932

Abstract

To evaluate the ameliorative effect of algae-derived polysaccharide (ADP) supplementation on duodenal injury caused by heat stress (HS) in broilers, a total of 144 male yellow-feathered broilers (56-day-old) were randomly allocated into three groups: The TN group (thermoneutral zone, broilers were raised at 23.6 ± 1.8 °C); HS group (heat stress, broilers were exposed to 33.2 ± 1.5 °C 10 h/day, 8:00 a.m.–18:00 p.m., the temperature in the remaining period was consistent with the TN group); HSA group (heat-stressed broilers were fed with ADP supplemented diet at 1000 mg/kg). There were six replications in each treatment, and eight broilers in each replication. The feeding trial lasted four weeks. The results showed that dietary ADP supplementation tended to increase the villus height (p = 0.077) and villus width (p = 0.062), and decrease the apoptosis rate (p = 0.081) in the duodenum of broilers under HS. Furthermore, dietary ADP increased the relative mRNA and protein (based on immunofluorescence) expression levels of occludin and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) in the duodenum of broilers under HS (p < 0.05). In addition, dietary ADP enhanced the total antioxidation capacity (T-AOC) and activity of glutathione-S transferase (GST), while reducing the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration of the duodenum in broilers under HS (p < 0.05). Moreover, dietary ADP supplementation upregulated the duodenal nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1) and glutathione S-transferase theta 1 (GSTT1) mRNA expression levels in heat-stressed broilers (p < 0.05). Furthermore, compared with the HS group, broilers fed with an ADP supplemented diet had a higher relative mRNA expression of inhibitor kappa B alpha (IκBα) (p < 0.05) and a lower relative mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the duodenum (p < 0.05). In summary, dietary ADP supplementation had an ameliorative effect on HS-induced impairment of tight junctions, antioxidant capacity and the immune response of the duodenum in broilers. These beneficial effects might be related to the modulation of Nrf2 and NF-κB signaling pathways. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Insights into Feed Additives: Alternatives of Growth Promoters in Livestock)

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10 pages, 429 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of Chicken Egg Lysozyme or Zinc-Bacitracin Antibiotic on the Growth Performance, Antibacterial Capacity, Blood Profiles, and Antioxidative Status of Rabbits: A Comparative Study

by Mahmoud H. EL-Deep, Khairy A. Amber, Yahia Z. Eid, Salama Mostafa Aboelenin, Mohamed Mohamed Soliman, Mohamed S. Sakr and Mahmoud A. O. Dawood

Animals 2021, 11(6), 1731; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061731 - 10 Jun 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3556

Abstract

Dietary egg lysozyme has beneficial roles in the growth performance and health conditions of animals. The study was performed using 90 multicolored rabbits in three groups (each replicate with thirty rabbits). In the control group, rabbits were fed a diet without zinc bacitracin (ZnB) or egg lysozyme, while the second and third groups were treated with ZnB and lysozyme additive at 100 mg/kg, respectively. After eight weeks, the final weight and body weight gain (BWG) of rabbits fed dietary egg lysozyme and ZnB additives were meaningfully increased (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was markedly decreased by dietary egg lysozyme and ZnB (p < 0.05). Interestingly, dietary egg lysozyme resulted in higher final weight and BWG and lower FCR than rabbits treated with ZnB (p < 0.05). Rabbits treated with egg lysozyme and ZnB additives had markedly lower populations of Clostridium spp. and Escherichia coli (p < 0.05) compared with the control. However, the counts of Lactobacillus and total bacteria were meaningfully increased in the the intestines of rabbits treated with egg lysozyme and ZnB (p < 0.05). The blood total protein and globulin of rabbits fed dietary egg lysozyme and ZnB additives were meaningfully increased (p < 0.05). Blood creatinine was significantly lowered by dietary egg lysozyme compared with the control and ZnB-treated rabbits (p < 0.05). The levels of blood urea, ALT, and AST were markedly lowered (p < 0.05) by dietary egg lysozyme and ZnB. The gene expressions of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in the liver of rabbits fed dietary egg lysozyme and ZnB additives were markedly upregulated (p < 0.05) compared with the control. Dietary egg lysozyme resulted in higher expression of SOD1 and GPX genes than rabbits treated with ZnB (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the inclusion of egg lysozyme could replace the inclusion of ZnB in the diets of rabbits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Insights into Feed Additives: Alternatives of Growth Promoters in Livestock)

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12 pages, 956 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Dietary Supplementation of gEGF on the Growth Performance and Immunity of Broilers

by Jianyong Zhou, Jingyi Yao, Luhong Bai, Chuansong Sun and Jianjun Lu

Animals 2021, 11(5), 1394; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11051394 - 13 May 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2181

Abstract

EGF has been shown to stimulate the growth of animals. In this study, the content of EGF in chicken embryos (gallus EGF, gEGF) aged from 1 to 20 days of incubation were determined by ELISA kit, and the 5-day-old chicken embryos with the highest content of 5593 pg/g were selected to make gEGF crude extracts. A total of 1500 1-day-old Xianju chickens were randomly divided into five groups with six replicates of 50 chickens each. The control group was fed a basal diet, and other treatment diets were supplemented with 4, 8, 16 and 32 ng/kg gEGF crude extract, respectively. The experiment lasted for 30 days. Chicks were harvested at the end of the experiment, and liver, spleen, thymus, bursa and serum samples were collected. Results showed that average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) of 16 ng/kg group were higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05). The serum uric acid (UA) of the 16 ng/kg group was reduced (p < 0.01), and the serum alkaline phosphatase (AKP) of the 16 ng/kg group increased (p < 0.01). The gEGF extract also increased chick’s antioxidant capacity, decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) and increased catalase (CAT) in the liver and serum of 16 ng/kg groups in compared to the control group (p < 0.01). Furthermore, immunity was improved by the addition of gEGF to broiler diets. The serum immunoglobin A (IgA) content of 8 and 16 ng/kg groups and the serum immunoglobin M (IgM) content of 4 and 8 ng/kg groups were increased (p < 0.05) compared to the control group. The bursa index of each experimental group was higher than the control group (p < 0.01). These findings demonstrate that the crude extract of gEGF prepared in this experiment could improve the growth performance, antioxidant capacity and immunity of broilers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Insights into Feed Additives: Alternatives of Growth Promoters in Livestock)

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14 pages, 721 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Supplemental Impact of Marine Red Seaweed (Halymenia palmata) on the Growth Performance, Total Tract Nutrient Digestibility, Blood Profiles, Intestine Histomorphology, Meat Quality, Fecal Gas Emission, and Microbial Counts in Broilers

by Balamuralikrishnan Balasubramanian, Sureshkumar Shanmugam, Sungkwon Park, Neeraja Recharla, Jin Su Koo, Ines Andretta and In Ho Kim

Animals 2021, 11(5), 1244; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11051244 - 27 Apr 2021

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3698

Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate the dietary effects of a marine red seaweed, Palmaria palmata, on the growth performance, blood profile, nutrient digestibility, meat quality, fecal gas emission, microbial population, and intestinal morphology of broilers. A total of 720 Ross 308 broiler chicks (1 day old), with an average body weight of 45 ± 0.50 g, were assigned to one of five dietary treatments (randomized complete block design) in a 42-day feeding trial. The five dietary treatments consisted of a basal diet (0% supplementation; control), and diets supplemented with 0.05%, 0.01%, 0.15%, or 0.25% red seaweed. Eight replicates were prepared per treatment, with each replicate consisting of 18 chicks in a cage. The results showed that there tended to be a greater increase in body weight in the seaweed-supplemented groups from day (d) 14 to 28 (p = 0.087) and d 28 to 42 (p = 0.082) compared to the control group, regardless of feed intake. Feed intake in the seaweed-supplemented groups increased linearly from d 14 to 28. A linear relationship between seaweed supplementation and the feed conversion ratio was observed from d 14 to 28 and throughout the whole experiment. The dietary inclusion of seaweed was linearly related to levels of albumin, creatinine, uric acid, and white blood cells in the broilers. Additionally, the total tract digestibility of dry matter increased linearly with an increase in seaweed supplementation. The dietary inclusion of seaweed had a beneficial effect on fecal microbes as Lactobacillus sp. counts increased and Escherichia coli and Salmonella sp. counts decreased on day 42. Histopathological examination of the intestine confirmed that seaweed dietary supplementation enhanced the heights and widths of the villi. Furthermore, the emission of fecal gases (NH₃ and H₂S) decreased linearly in broilers fed seaweed-supplemented diets. Dietary supplementation with seaweed led to improvements in meat quality traits, such as reductions in drip loss, water holding capacity, and cooking loss, as well as increases in relative organ weights. Based on these positive effects, dietary supplementation with seaweed in broilers can be considered a dietary option in poultry production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Insights into Feed Additives: Alternatives of Growth Promoters in Livestock)

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20 pages, 1100 KiB

Open AccessArticle

In Vitro Screening of East Asian Plant Extracts for Potential Use in Reducing Ruminal Methane Production

by Rajaraman Bharanidharan, Selvaraj Arokiyaraj, Myunggi Baik, Ridha Ibidhi, Shin Ja Lee, Yookyung Lee, In Sik Nam and Kyoung Hoon Kim

Animals 2021, 11(4), 1020; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11041020 - 4 Apr 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3554

Abstract

Indiscriminate use of antibiotics can result in antibiotic residues in animal products; thus, plant compounds may be better alternative sources for mitigating methane (CH₄) production. An in vitro screening experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential application of 152 dry methanolic or ethanolic extracts from 137 plant species distributed in East Asian countries as anti-methanogenic additives in ruminant feed. The experimental material consisted of 200 mg total mixed ration, 20 mg plant extract, and 30 mL diluted ruminal fluid-buffer mixture in 60 mL serum bottles that were sealed with rubber stoppers and incubated at 39 °C for 24 h. Among the tested extracts, eight extracts decreased CH₄ production by >20%, compared to the corresponding controls: stems of Vitex negundo var. incisa, stems of Amelanchier asiatica, fruit of Reynoutria sachalinensis, seeds of Tribulus terrestris, seeds of Pharbitis nil, leaves of Alnus japonica, stem and bark of Carpinus tschonoskii, and stems of Acer truncatum. A confirmation assay of the eight plant extracts at a dosage of 10 mg with four replications repeated on 3 different days revealed that the extracts decreased CH₄ concentration in the total gas (7–15%) and total CH₄ production (17–37%), compared to the control. This is the first report to identify the anti-methanogenic activities of eight potential plant extracts. All extracts decreased ammonia (NH₃-N) concentrations. Negative effects on total gas and volatile fatty acid (VFA) production were also noted for all extracts that were rich in hydrolysable tannins and total saponins or fatty acids. The underlying modes of action differed among plants: extracts from P. nil, V. negundo var. incisa, A. asiatica, and R. sachalinensis resulted in a decrease in total methanogen or the protozoan population (p < 0.05) but extracts from other plants did not. Furthermore, extracts from P. nil decreased the population of total protozoa and increased the proportion of propionate among VFAs (p < 0.05). Identifying bioactive compounds in seeds of P. nil by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed enrichment of linoleic acid (18:2). Overall, seeds of P. nil could be a possible alternative to ionophores or oil seeds to mitigate ruminal CH₄ production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Insights into Feed Additives: Alternatives of Growth Promoters in Livestock)

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12 pages, 274 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dietary Inclusion of Blood Plasma with Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) Supplementation Enhanced the Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Lactobacillus Count, and Reduced Gas Emissions in Weaning Pigs

by Vetriselvi Sampath, Dong Heon Baek, Sureshkumar Shanmugam and In Ho Kim

Animals 2021, 11(3), 759; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11030759 - 10 Mar 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2442

Abstract

This experiment was performed to examine the hypothesis that blood plasma (BP) with yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) supplement in the diet of weaning pigs could provoke the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal microbial, and reduce harmful gas excretion. A total of one hundred and eighty healthy piglets were taken and assigned (complete random blocks) to three dietary treatments as: Phase 1: Treatment (TRT) 1-6% BP; TRT 2-3% BP + 3% yeast; TRT 3-6% yeast. Phase 2: TRT 1-3%; BP., TRT 2-1.5% BP + 1.5% yeast; TRT 3- 3% yeast. Phase 3: TRT 1- Control (CON) (Basal diet); TRT 2- CON; TRT 3- CON for six- weeks. Each treatment had twelve replicates and five (three gilts and two barrows) pigs per pen. Dietary inclusion of BP with yeast supplementation significantly increased the body weight of piglets during phase 2 (p = 0.003) and phase 3 (p = 0.032). In addition, TRT2 group piglets had a significant improvement in average daily gain at the end of each phase and overall (p = 0.047, 0.025, 0.018 and 0.012, respectively). At phase 3, TRT2 group piglets showed a significant improvement on nutrient digestibility of dry matter (p = 0.012) and nitrogen (p = 0.040). The fecal microbiota of TRT2 group piglets showed a tendency to increase the number of Lactobacillus counts at phase 1 (p = 0.07) and phase 2 (p = 0.06) as well as, a significant improvement at phase 3 (p = 0.021). In addition, TRT2 group piglets had trend to decrease NH₃ (p = 0.074) and H₂S (p = 0.069) during phase 2, and significantly reduced NH₃ (p = 0.038) and H₂S (p = 0.046) at phase 3. However, the fecal score of piglets remains unaffected during the entire trial. At the end of phase 1 piglets’ IgG (p = 0.008) was significantly increased with the inclusion of BP with yeast supplementation. Based on the positive effects on body weight, average daily gain, nutrient digestibility, Lactobacillus count, and reduced gas emission, we suggest that dietary supplement with BP and yeast in the diet of weaned piglet could serve as an excellent alternative to antibiotics growth promoters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Insights into Feed Additives: Alternatives of Growth Promoters in Livestock)

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 497 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Recent Trend in the Use of Multistrain Probiotics in Livestock Production: An Overview

by Modinat Tolani Lambo, Xiaofeng Chang and Dasen Liu

Animals 2021, 11(10), 2805; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11102805 - 26 Sep 2021

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 4962

Abstract

It has been established that introducing feed additives to livestock, either nutritional or non-nutritional, is beneficial in manipulating the microbial ecosystem to maintain a balance in the gut microbes and thereby improving nutrient utilization, productivity, and health status of animals. Probiotic use has gained popularity in the livestock industry, especially since antimicrobial growth promoter’s use has been restricted due to the challenge of antibiotic resistance in both animals and consumers of animal products. Their usage has been linked to intestinal microbial balance and improved performance in administered animals. Even though monostrain probiotics could be beneficial, multistrain probiotics containing two or more species or strains have gained considerable attention. Combining different strains has presumably achieved several health benefits over single strains due to individual isolates’ addition and positive synergistic adhesion effects on animal health and performance. However, there has been inconsistency in the effects of the probiotic complexes in literature. This review discusses multistrain probiotics, summarizes selected literature on their effects on ruminants, poultry, and swine productivity and the various modes by which they function. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Insights into Feed Additives: Alternatives of Growth Promoters in Livestock)

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17 pages, 1195 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Potential Utilization of High-Fiber Agricultural By-Products as Monogastric Animal Feed and Feed Additives: A Review

by Wen-Yang Chuang, Li-Jen Lin, Hsin-Der Shih, Yih-Min Shy, Shang-Chang Chang and Tzu-Tai Lee

Animals 2021, 11(7), 2098; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11072098 - 15 Jul 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 6380

Abstract

With the increase in world food demand, the output of agricultural by-products has also increased. Agricultural by-products not only contain more than 50% dietary fiber but are also rich in functional metabolites such as polyphenol (including flavonoids), that can promote animal health. The utilization of dietary fibers is closely related to their types and characteristics. Contrary to the traditional cognition that dietary fiber reduces animal growth, it can promote animal growth and maintain intestinal health, and even improve meat quality when added in moderate amounts. In addition, pre-fermenting fiber with probiotics or enzymes in a controlled environment can increase dietary fiber availability. Although the use of fiber has a positive effect on animal health, it is still necessary to pay attention to mycotoxin contamination. In summary, this report collates the fiber characteristics of agricultural by-products and their effects on animal health and evaluates the utilization value of agricultural by-products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Insights into Feed Additives: Alternatives of Growth Promoters in Livestock)

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