"Phytochemical modulation of poultry gut microbiota"

Authors: Lillehoj, Hyun

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/2019
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Antibiotic overuse and abuse on a global scale has led to the emergence of multi-drug resistant “superbugs” from food animals and humans. The United States Food and Drug Administration has requested that agriculture producers discontinue sub-therapeutic dosing of antibiotics into animal feed, which for over 60 years, was the common practice to promote their economic value by increasing feed efficiency and growth. To develop non-antibiotic feed additive(s) that promote the growth and health of commercial poultry, we investigated the effects of dietary phytochemicals on host immunity, gut microbiota and disease susceptibility to necrotic enteritis in commercial poultry breeds. This talk will report on various effects of dietary phytochemicals on disease susceptibility to necrotic enteritis caused by Clostridium perfringens in commercial broiler chickens. The results demonstrate that plant-derived chemicals can be used to establish more beneficial ecosystem in the gut by altering microbiota caused by pathogenic bacteria by different mechanisms, and provide the framework for future studies to identify natural plant chemicals to improve poultry growth performance without the use of in-feed antibiotics.