Phytobiotics on performances and gut function in monogastric animals

Antibiotic growth promoters have been used widely in livestock production for almost 50 years.

- Pompy Das

The potential health risks and environmental problems caused by the excessive use of synthetic pharmaceuticals including antibiotics as growth promoters, the public demand for organic foods have gradually increased. Investigations on use of antibiotics as growth promoter in animals resulted an increased incidence of microbial resistance among human pathogens due to continuous use of antibiotics as growth promoter in animals. That led to ban on using antibiotic growth promoters in livestock feeding in developed countries at early 2000s. Exclusion of antibiotics as growth promoters in animals significantly increased the incidence of infection by pathogens, consequently having a detrimental effect on the performance of commercial animals in terms of economic return to the farmers. Therefore, the trend of finding available alternatives was increased.

Research has focused on the development of alternative strategies to maintain animal health and enhance performance, numerous substances commonly known as natural growth promoters have been identified as effective alternatives to antibiotics.