Abstract
The perturbation of gut health is a common yet unresolved problem in broiler chicken production. Antibiotics used as growth promoters have remarkably improved the broiler production industry with high feed conversion efficiency and reduced intestinal problems. However, the misuse of antibiotics has also led to the increase in the development of antibiotic resistance and antibiotic residues in the meat. Many countries have enacted laws prohibiting the use of antibiotics in livestock production because of the increasing concerns from the consumers and the public. Consequently, one of the most significant discussions in the poultry industry is currently antibiotic-free livestock production. However, the biggest challenge in animal husbandry globally is the complete removal of antibiotics. The necessity to venture into antibiotic-free production has led researchers to look for alternatives to antibiotics in broiler chicken production. Many strategies can be used to replace the use of antibiotics in broiler farming. In recent years, many studies have been conducted to identify functional feed additives with similar beneficial effects as antibiotic growth promoters. Attention has been focused on prebiotics, probiotics, organic acids, emulsifiers, enzymes, essential oils, tributyrin, and medium-chain fatty acids. In this review, we focused on recent discoveries on gut health maintenance through the use of these functional feed additives as alternatives to antibiotics in the past 10 years to provide novel insights into the design of antibiotic-free feeds.
Highlights
Gut health is an increasingly important topic in broiler chicken production
This review aims to identify the causes of gut health problems, show the reported results of various regulatory measures or alternative antibiotics, and analyze the feasibility of feeding without antibiotics
Growth, feed conversion rate, and feed utilization can be promoted by adding organic acids (0.06% Galliacid, 0.1% Biacid, or 0.02% Eneramycin) to the feed or drinking water at appropriate times [81]
Summary
Gut health is an increasingly important topic in broiler chicken production. The rapid rise in the global human population has increased the demand for animal protein for human nutrition, which led to the intensive production of broiler chickens to meet the demand for food, causing unintended gut health problems and performance impairment in broiler chickens. Broiler production has relied on the use of antibiotics, which have led to significant improvements in the growth performance of broiler chicken and have helped in the fight against bacterial infections [1,2,3]. Antibiotics have demonstrated significant value in terms of the enhancement of health and productivity in broiler chickens. Their misuse in intensive livestock production has led to public and consumer concerns about antibiotic
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