plant-based feed additives, or products of plant origin used in animal feed to improve performance; It represents one of the feed additives that can be included in new feeding regimens while reducing dependence on antibiotics in animal protein production. The relevance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has only increased in recent years, making botanicals a promising alternative to the use of antibiotics.
Speaking at the Feed Strategies Seminar held at Health & Nutrition Asia (HNA), Dr Sabiha Kadali, EW Nutrition’s SEAP Regional Technical Director, said that plants can be used to support antibiotic reduction (ABR) strategies. proposed that sexual substances are important. Phytogenics can contribute to optimizing gut health and performance by reducing the dosage of antibiotic growth promoters (APGs).
“The important thing to note is that almost 20-25% of the body’s consumption comes from the gut. So in that case, if your gut health deteriorates, you can imagine the energy expenditure …when birds are expending energy, most of which goes into maintaining gut health, they are unable to maintain their performance or use that energy to meet their production parameters. .”
Botanical additives may include essential oils, oily liquid extracts from various plants containing plant molecules, and raw plant matter, which can also be included in the feeding plan. Essential oils and plant molecules are primarily used to control bacterial populations, and liquid plant molecule preparations can also be administered through water.
Kadali’s research shows that 2021 No Antibiotics (NAE) programs used at least twice as many plant-based substances as yeast, butyric acid, direct-raised microorganisms, and enzymes.
Dr. Sabiha Kadali, EW Nutrition’s SEAP Regional Technical Director, will speak at the Feed Strategies Seminar in Bangkok on March 13, 2024.Jackie Loenke
Plant genetics and the poultry gastrointestinal tract
Kadali said during his presentation that poultry in particular have a very complex digestive system, with the intestine being the largest immune organ in the body and home to about 640 different species of bacteria. Even with this complex system, plant genetics offers solutions to reduce antibiotic use. She focuses on her three factors related to the gastrointestinal tract in poultry health, stating that “the balance of the gut microbiome, the integrity of the intestinal lining, and the ability to digest and absorb nutrients in the feed” are the most important. I said that.
“There is no single factor” that affects poultry health, she says. “It’s a combination of different factors.”
Add phytogenic substances to your feeding plan
Similar to related research on reducing antibiotic use, Kadali says that simply introducing botanicals into feed via essential oils or raw plant matter will not be a complete replacement for APG. Considerations for water quality, waste management, stress, etc. are just as important as what animals eat. For the ABR strategy to reach its full potential, the environment in which the animals live must be clean and comfortable. Professor Kadali, for example, suggests using a proprietary blend of the best possible plant molecule candidates. Selected compounds address target pathogen mitigation through antimicrobial properties, prevent formation and stress through antioxidant properties, and moderate the immune system through anti-inflammatory effects. properties.
“We are a supplier that is trying to come up with solutions that can address these challenges,” she said, noting that plant genetics could be one of them.
Although botanical studies are most often conducted in poultry, promising results have also been shown in pigs and both dairy and beef cattle. Phytogenics is a promising option for producers when considering reducing APG use, indicating that new trending feed additives will emerge in the near future.
Editor’s Note: The 2024 edition of Health & Nutrition Asia was co-hosted with VICTAM Asia in Bangkok, Thailand from March 12-14, 2024.
