Abstract

The poultry industry is an important source of food for humans and plays an important role in fulfilling the demand for protein in the form of eggs and meat throughout the world. Pakistan is ranked 11th among the largest poultry producers of the globe and this sector is the important segment of livestock that offers employment to over 1.5 million individuals with an investment of more than 1056 billion. This sector has demonstrated remarkable growth; approximately averaging 7.3 % annually over the past decade. Over the past few years, there has been phenomenal growth in poultry production that has primarily been restricted to large and small organized poultry industries. To take advantage of the broiler industry, a variety of feed additives are employed, including antibiotics, probiotics (also known as bio-growth promoters), prebiotics, exogenous enzymes, and antioxidants. Currently, feed additives are broadly used in the poultry industry for multipurpose and replacing antibiotics used in feed. The use of feed additives is not limited to growth promoters but also as immunity boosters and to improve production quality. This chapter will highlight commonly used feed additives in poultry and their effect on health and performance.

Introduction

Pakistan is classified as a lower middle-income country with a population of 229.22 million in the year 2022, making it the fifth most populous country in the world. The agriculture sector has a key role in the economy of Pakistan, employing 37.4% of the workforce and contributing 22.9% of its GDP from 2022 to 2023 (Islam et al., 2023). The livestock sector including poultry emerges as the predominant agriculture sector, contributing 62.68 % of total agricultural output and 14.36% to the national GDP during the 2022-2023 Ministry of Finance Economic Survey, 2023 (Rana et al., 2023). By implementing farmer-friendly policies and interventions, the Government has been encouraging both rural and commercial poultry production. The estimated output of commercial and rural poultry products including egg production amounted to 23,819 million with meat production totaling 2,160 tons in the year 2022-2023. However, in the last couple of years, the country has faced climatic shocks such as floods which adversely affected the agriculture and livestock sector (Islam et al., 2023). Over the past few years, there has been phenomenal growth in poultry production that has primarily been restricted to large and small organized poultry industries. This has mostly been made possible by utilizing a variety of contemporary growth-promoting tactics and appropriate disease prevention measures (Angelakis et al., 2013). Most countries have banned the use of antibiotics as a feed additive in animal and poultry production. In response, natural products that are derived from natural resources such as plants, herbs, spices, essential oils, cold-pressed oils, minerals, and microorganisms have been used as natural feed additives in poultry to promote the health, growth, and performance of poultry (Hayajneh, 2019).

The study aims to explore commonly used feed additives in poultry and their effect on health and performance. The use of feed additives is currently rising quickly and taking the place of antibiotics as research indicates that they have a negative impact on consumer health.

Effect of Feed Additives on Different Body Systems

Feed additives are compounds that are added to a nutritionally balanced diet to elicit a response from the host that maximizes its genetic potential for growth and feed conversion efficiency. To take advantage of the broiler industry, a variety of feed additives are employed, including antibiotics, probiotics (also known as bio-growth promoters), prebiotics, exogenous enzymes, antioxidants, etc.

Effect of Antibiotics

Antibiotics are not utilized for therapeutic purposes; rather, they are used in poultry feed at low levels on a contagious basis to enhance growth and feed conversion (Chowdhury et al., 2009). Antibiotics primarily work by regulating and maintaining the ideal balance of avian intestinal microflora between gram-positive and gram-negative organisms (Yadav et al., 2016). Over 90% of the bacteria in the well-balanced gut microbiota are Gram-positive, mainly Lactobacillus. An imbalance of microflora results from a rise in pathogenic organisms like Escherichia coli or other gram-negative organisms during times of stress or digestive disorders (Jandhyala et al., 2015). Further colonization of the intestines by the gram-negative bacteria results in intestinal mucosal inflammation and attachment to the intestinal epithelium, which reduces nutritional absorption and ultimately stunts the growth and production of birds. Antibiotics can also modify the processes of mucin biosynthesis

Effect of Probiotics

The overuse of antibiotics has led to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains and an imbalance between pathogenic and normal microbiota. Therefore, there is a growing interest in discovering alternatives to antibiotics to produce poultry. Natural feed additives in poultry such as live probiotics have the potential to reduce poultry enteric diseases subsequently causing contamination of poultry products (Dhama and Singh, 2010; Gupta and Das, 2013). Probiotics are live microbial feed supplements that work to produce a variety of substances that help balance the bacteria population in the intestine. The host receives a "boost" to develop a correct microbial population in its gut and positively affects itself by increasing the features of the native gastrointestinal microbiota, if robes which contribute to the proper microbial balance, are added to the feed (Schwarzer et al., 2018).

Effect of Vitamins and Minerals

Multivitamin-mineral premixes have been utilized in chicken feed, especially for broiler feed, to improve feed utilization and broiler growth, which has led to improved production and economic outcomes (Peric et al., 2009). They also have positive effects on immunity and immunological function, as well as gut health. An improved appetite has a positive impact, despite differences in the mode of action. In addition, there is enhanced feed conversion, immune system stimulation, increased vigor, and intestinal microbiota modulation.

Role of Feed Additives on the Health and Performance of Poultry

Natural Feed Additives used in Poultry and their Effect on Consumer Health

A satisfactory diet is needed for animals, including poultry throughout the world that improves the growth rate and prevents infectious diseases. In the poultry sector, antibiotics have been used on a large scale for the treatment of birds against disease and have been used for improving growth, weight gain, and increase in the production such as meat and egg in sub-therapeutic levels as a feed additive (Saleh et al., 2024). The continuous or extensive use of antibiotics produces an adverse effect on the production and performance of poultry and their residues have accumulated in the birds' tissues and produce resistance in birds and in humans through the food chain ultimately the result this causes therapeutic failure (Cervantes, 2015).

Effect of Feed Additive on Health and Production of Poultry

Feed additives that support overall health and growth performance include probiotics, organic acids, enzymes, probiotics, prebiotics, functional foods, and nutraceuticals. It may have important functions in promoting general health and growth efficiencies (Hoste et al., 2015; Abd El-Hack et al., 2020). In the chicken industry, botanical products are essential and natural ingredients that are frequently added to food. Their dietary and therapeutic qualities enhance performance. They consist of essential oils, flavonoids, phenols, probiotics, and tannins, all of which have various functions in the health of the birds. They can improve digestion and promote health in a variety of poultry species (Liu et al., 2020). Additionally, botanical or herbal products are regarded as photogenic feed enhancements for poultry birds to reduce the levels of trimethylamine in the yolks of laying hens and enhance egg weight and ovarian features (Saki et al., 2014). The seminal features and reproductive performance of roosters can be improved by dietary supplementation of various botanical feed additives, such as camphor (50 mg/kg of feed) (Raei et al., 2021).

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