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Tea Catechins: Potential Plant-Derived Feed Additives for Improving Chicken Intestinal Health and Productivity
by
,
Bing Tian
1,
Wenjing Zhuang
1,
Yanle Fan
1,
Yun Hu
1,
Xiaoyan Cui
1,
Tingting Li
1,
Liyang Zhang
2,
Xugang Luo
1,* and
Shengchen Wang
1,* 1
College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, China
2
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Mineral Nutrition Research Division, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Animals 2025, 15(11), 1553; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15111553
Submission received: 5 April 2025
/
Revised: 21 May 2025
/
Accepted: 22 May 2025
/
Published: 26 May 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Herbal Extracts and Herbal-Derived Products to Support Animal Health and Productivity)
Simple Summary
Catechins, natural polyphenols, show promise as antibiotic alternatives in poultry feed by improving gut health, reducing oxidative stress and balancing microbiota. However, the research on catechins in poultry is nascent, with unclear mechanisms. This review supports catechins as sustainable feed additives to replace antibiotics as a new growth-promoting factor in maintaining chicken intestinal health and productivity.
Abstract
In response to the global antimicrobial resistance and residue issues, most countries and regions have implemented comprehensive bans on the use of growth-promoting antibiotics in animal feed formulations. Catechins are a group of polyphenolic compounds that are naturally present in many fruits and plant-derived foods, emerging as potential antibiotic-alternative additives for promoting gut health and production performance in poultry farming. The compounds demonstrate dual biological functions: mitigating oxidative tissue damage and actively remodeling gut microbiota composition by suppressing enteric pathogens (e.g., Clostridium) and enriching beneficial bacteria (e.g., Bifidobacterium). Such multifaceted regulation enhances intestinal barrier integrity, thereby improving nutrient absorption and translating into measurable production benefits, including elevated growth rates and feed conversion efficiency. The current research suggests that the added levels of catechins in chicken diets ranges from 40 to 600 mg/kg. However, the research and application of catechins in chicken production are still at the initial stage, which requires more attention worldwide and further mechanism exploration. This mini-review synthesizes recent research findings on the effects of catechins on chicken health, aiming to promote the formulation of feed additive strategies using plant-derived compounds such as catechins as substitutes for antibiotics, to maintain the health of poultry and other animals while preserving production performance.
Keywords:
catechins; chicken; feed additives; antioxidant function; gut microbiota
