IMPROVEMENTS OF FEED EFFICIENCY

IN POULTRY
 Non-nutritional Feed additives
 Antibiotics and other  Microbial cultures
antimicrobials
 Enzymes
 Growth and feed efficiency
enhancers  Anti-oxidants

 Mold inhibitors and toxin-

 Acidifiers
binders
 Anticoccidial
 Flavoring agents
 Non-Nutritional Feed Additives
 They are not nutrients needed by birds. In the absence of
feed additives, no nutritional deficiency results.

 They enhance bird production and profitability under

the right circumstances.
 Feed Additives
 Feed additives are subject to regulation in the U. S. by
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

 For most users, the appropriate usage and withdrawal

information is provided by the manufacturer and if
mixed in commercial feed it is on the feed tag
Ban of AGP
 Since Jan, 2006, use of AGP is a ban due to:
 Effect of AGP on beneficial and non-beneficial
bacteria
 Cross-resistance against pathogens
 Antibiotic residues in tissue
 Withdrawal time of AGP
AGP alternatives
 Probiotics

 Prebiotics

 Synbiotics

 OA

 EO
PROBIOTICS
 The poultry industry defines Probiotics as “a culture of
specific living microorganisms which beneficially affects
the host animal by improving its intestinal microbial
balance”

 FAO & WHO define Probiotics as “Live microorganisms

which when administered in adequate amounts confer a
health benefit on the host”.

 Probiotics are live microorganisms of nonpathogenic and

nontoxic in nature, which when administered through the
digestive route, are favorable to the host’s health
Probiotic Bacteria
 The Probiotic bacteria must be a normal
inhabitant of the avian gut, and it must be able to
adhere to the intestinal epithelium (tissue) to
overcome potential hurdles, such as the low pH of
the stomach, the presence of bile acids in the
intestines, and the competition against other
microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract.
 Intestinal microflora
 Several bacteria normally present in healthy birds
 Balance between pathogenic and non-pathogenic species
– Bacteroides spp.
– Peptococcus spp.
– Clostridium spp.
– Streptococcus spp.
– Escherichia coli
– Bacillus spp.
– Lactobacillus spp.
– Bifidobacterium spp.
Total bacterial population in the GIT
 Optimisation of Microbial Flora in
Digestive tract
Crop
Reduce pH
Inhibition of undesired bacteria
Stimulation of lactic acid producing bacteria

population

small intestines (control total population)

large intestines: reduce pH
stimulate bifido-bacteria
improve mineral absorption
reduce fermentation of proteolytic
bacteria
Lactic Acid – Formic Acid
Influencing pH – Microbial Flora
Reduction pH till 4.5
Support Lacto bacilli
Inhibit pathogens
 Necrotic Enteritis (NE)
 Causative agent: gram positive Clostridium Perfringens (A and C).
 Most important pathogen after Salmonella and E. coli.
 Toxin productions (Enterotoxins)
 High mortality
 Poor performance
 Occurs in birds aged 2-6 weeks
 Coccidiosis predispose to NE
Probiotic bacteria Species
 There is a wide variety of probiotic species
currently being used in avian-specific preparations.
These include
 Lactobacillus bulgaricus,
 Lactobacillus acidophilus,
 Lactobacillus casei,
 Lactobacillus helveticus,
 Lactobacillus lactis,
 Lactobacillus salivarius
Probiotic bacteria Species
 Lactobacillus plantarum,
 Streptococcus thermophilus,
 Enterococcus faecium,
 Enterococcus faecalis,
 Bifidobacterium spp.
 Bacillus Subtilis
 Bacillus Licheniformis
 Pediococcus
Probiotic bacteria Species
 These are all intestinal strains with the two
exceptions

 Lactobacillus bulgaricus and

Streptococcus thermophilus are yoghurt
starter organisms.
Formula of Probiotics
 Firstly, the probiotic must include a viable, live strain.

 Secondly, this type of probiotic should have a guaranteed

shelf life (18 to 24 months), which means it is a very stable
product.

 Thirdly, it should list the number of organisms on the

product label - number of organisms per gram of material.
 When reviewing the bacterial count 2.0 x 108 CFU/ gram
is a good level to look for Any product with a bacterial
count less than this will not be as effective in producing the
desired results.
BENEFITS OF PROBIOTICS
 The positive effect of probiotics can result
either from a direct nutritional effect or a "health"
effect.
 Nutritional effect include:
(1) Reduction of metabolic reactions that produces
toxic substances
(2) Stimulation of endogenous enzymes
(3) Production of vitamins or antimicrobial
substances.
Sanitary effect of Probiotics
 Increase in colonization resistance

 Stimulation of the immune response.

The mode of action of Probiotics in poultry
 Maintaining normal intestinal microflora by
competitive exclusion and antagonism
 Altering metabolism by increasing digestive
enzyme activity and decreasing bacterial enzyme
activity and ammonia production
 Improving feed intake and digestion
 Stimulating the immune system
PREBIOTICS
 Non-digestible feed ingredients that selectively
stimulates growth (and/or activity) of one or a
limited number of bacteria in the colon, improving
host health.

 MOS and FOS are prebiotics

Prebiotic: Stimulation of immune response
• Certain phagocytes (immune cells) in the gut express
Dectin type receptor sites
• These sites mediate cellular cytotoxic reactions against
foreign cells
• Example: Dectin-1
– Has a receptor site that can be activated by undigested prebiotics,
– Once activated, it induces a pro-inflammatory response
• In Summary:
– The immune cells in the gut with lectin type receptors can be
stimulated by the undigested prebiotic carbohydrates and
therefore increase the activity of pro-inflammatory
Prebiotic: Adhesion blocker
Healthy microvilli

E. Coli attached to the

mucosal cells and
destroying the
surrounding microvilli
 Wash-out effect of MOS
Manno-oligosaccharides = MOS
MOS
MOS MOS

MOS MOS
bacterium bacterium

MOS MOS MOS

Mannanoligosaccharides (MOS)
 Adsorption of pathogenic bacteria (Agglutinations).

 Improved intestinal function or gut health (increase villi

height,uniformity and integrity).

 Immune modulation stimulates gut-associated and systemic

immunity by acting as non-pathogenic microbial antigen
giving an adjuvant like effect.
 Fructooligosaccharides
↓
Small Intestine
Villous height (↑)
↓
Endogenous enzyme activity (↑)
↓
Digestibility (↑)
Large Intestine (caecum + colon)

Fermentation metabolized by Bifidobacteria & Lactobacilli

↓ 2
CO , H 2 ↓
↓
Absorption ( VFA ↑ ) Acidic pH (↓) putrefactive agents (↓)
Proliferation
↓ ↓ ↓ (NH3, Phenol)
Available energy Suppression Anti-microbial agent
↓ (E. coli)
↓ (Bacteriocins)
Epithelial mucosa (↑)
Immunity (↑)

Benefits: Diarrhoea (↓), Gut Health (↑), Feed Intake (↑), Growth (↑)
SYNBIOTIC
 A mixture of Probiotics and Prebiotics that
beneficially affects the host by activating the
metabolism of one or a limited number of
health promoting bacteria and/or by
selectively stimulating their growth
improving the host’s welfare
 Probiotic + Prebiotic = Synbiotic
Thank You for Your Attention