Role of Gut Microbiota in Farm Animal Health

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Farm Animal Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 July 2024) | Viewed by 2774

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK
Interests: antimicrobials; antibiotic resistance; gut microbiome; bacterial molecular genetics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The gut or gastrointestinal tract consists of a complex network of micro-organisms. These microorganisms, collectively referred to as the gut microbiota, have been identified as having an important role in animal health, affecting metabolism, behavior, and overall physiological health and performance of animals. For example, some microbiome communities have been identified as biomarkers for disease/dysbiosis or healthy states in animals.

Therefore, the goal of this Special Issue is to collect scientific articles that highlight the use and importance of microbiome data to advance our understanding of complex biological systems such as the immune system, nutrition, reproduction, disease resilience, and efficiency. This Issue welcomes interdisciplinary original research and reviews on the application of gut microbiota solutions to animal health. This may focus on the relationship between the gut microbiota and animal health, particularly health relating to specific disease conditions and animal life stages. We particularly welcome research that covers other groups of microorganisms (i.e., more holistic/entire microbiota) rather than just the bacterial populations. Research on all farm animals is welcome.

Dr. Linda Boniface Oyama
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • gut
  • microbiome
  • animal
  • health gastrointestinal tract
  • GIT
  • microbiota
  • animals
  • animal health

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

23 pages, 1192 KiB  
Review
Essential Oils, Chemical Compounds, and Their Effects on the Gut Microorganisms and Broiler Chicken Production: Review
by Jaime Salinas-Chavira and Hugo Brígido Barrios-García
Agriculture 2024, 14(11), 1864; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14111864 - 23 Oct 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2285
Abstract
The influence of essential oils (EOs) on gut microorganisms and broiler chicken production was evaluated through the systematic analysis of scientific reports. The present study was focused on the EO antimicrobial activity oriented toward broiler chicken production. There is a great biodiversity of [...] Read more.
The influence of essential oils (EOs) on gut microorganisms and broiler chicken production was evaluated through the systematic analysis of scientific reports. The present study was focused on the EO antimicrobial activity oriented toward broiler chicken production. There is a great biodiversity of plants, and various compounds with different biological activity have been isolated from them. The EO molecules extracted from plants have been employed recently in livestock feeding. Microbial resistance to antibiotics has led to their reduced use in animal production. To maintain competitive broiler chicken production with reduced antibiotic use, EOs have been explored. In broiler chickens, EOs are supplemented in the diet or drinking water to enhance weight gain and feed efficiency and reduce mortality. EOs are an alternative to antibiotics, and their research is dynamic in poultry production. The present review focused on the antimicrobial activity oriented to broiler chicken production. The search for information in databases used the terms “broiler chicken”, “essential oils” and combined them with the name of the plants. It was detected that the EO of Cinnamon bark or its compound cinnamaldehyde could reduce pathogenic bacteria in the digestive tract and improve intestinal morphology. Essential oils from Cymbopogon spp. and Origanum vulgare had an effect mainly against Gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella spp., and others, and against some Gram-positive bacteria, such as Staphylococcus spp., or yeasts, such as Candida albicans. Essential oils of Cymbopogon citratus acted against Salmonella. Citrus japonica affected Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella typhimurium. Origanum EO improved the antioxidant status and gut health of chickens, while EO of Eucalyptus with carvacrol, thymol, and Citrus lemon improved the productive performance of broiler chickens; also, Citrus spp. reduced the number of oocysts of Eimeria and showed activity against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It is concluded that EOs are a sustainable alternative to antibiotics in the production of broiler chickens. Future research includes the standardization of EO from different plants and active molecules, as well as the interaction with other feed additives and their impact on the health and production of broiler chickens. In addition, safety for consumers and the environment must be considered. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Gut Microbiota in Farm Animal Health)
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