Bacillus spp. as direct-fed microbial antibiotic alternatives to enhance growth, immunity, and gut health in poultry

The increasing occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria combined with regulatory pressure and consumer demands for foods produced without antibiotics has caused the agricultural industry to restrict its practice of using antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) in food animals. The poultry industry is n...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Avian pathology 2018-07, Vol.47 (4), p.339-351
Main Authors: Grant, Ar'Quette, Gay, Cyril G., Lillehoj, Hyun S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural industry
Agricultural practices
Animal husbandry
antibiotic growth promoter
Antibiotic resistance
Antibiotics
Antimicrobial peptides
Bacillus
Bacteria
Commercialization
Digestive system
direct-fed microbials
feed additive
Food industry
Gastrointestinal tract
Growth promoters
gut health
Immunity
Immunity (Disease)
Immunology
Intestinal flora
Intestinal microflora
Marketing
Microbiological strains
Microbiota
Microorganisms
Peptides
Plants
Poultry
Probiotics
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The increasing occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria combined with regulatory pressure and consumer demands for foods produced without antibiotics has caused the agricultural industry to restrict its practice of using antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) in food animals. The poultry industry is not immune to this trend, and has been actively seeking natural alternatives to AGP that will improve the health and growth performance of commercial poultry flocks. Bacillus probiotics have been gaining in popularity in recent years as an AGP alternative because of their health-promoting benefits and ability to survive the harsh manufacturing conditions of chicken feed production. This review provides an overview of several modes of action of some Bacillus direct-fed microbials as probiotics. Among the benefits of these direct-fed microbials are their production of naturally synthesized antimicrobial peptides, gut flora modulation to promote beneficial microbiota along the gastrointestinal tract, and various immunological and gut morphological alterations. The modes of action for increased performance are not well defined, and growth promotion is not equal across all Bacillus species or within strains. Appropriate screening and characterization of Bacillus isolates prior to commercialization are necessary to maximize poultry growth to meet the ultimate goal of eliminating AGP usage in animal husbandry.
ISSN:0307-9457
1465-3338
DOI:10.1080/03079457.2018.1464117