Phytogenic feed additives as natural antibiotic alternatives in animal health and production: A review of the literature of the last decade

Jing Wang; Lufang Deng; Meixia Chen; Yuyan Che; Lu Li; Longlong Zhu; Guoshun Chen; Tao Feng

doi:10.1016/j.aninu.2024.01.012

Phytogenic feed additives as natural antibiotic alternatives in animal health and production: A review of the literature of the last decade

Anim Nutr. 2024 Mar 22:17:244-264. doi: 10.1016/j.aninu.2024.01.012. eCollection 2024 Jun.

Authors

Jing Wang^{1

2}, Lufang Deng³, Meixia Chen^{1

2}, Yuyan Che⁴, Lu Li^{1

5}, Longlong Zhu^{1

6}, Guoshun Chen⁴, Tao Feng^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China.
² Sino-US Joint Laboratory of Animal Science, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China.
³ Feed Branch of Beijing Sanyuan Breeding Technology Co., Ltd, Beijing 101105, China.
⁴ College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
⁵ College of Life Science and Food Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056038, China.
⁶ College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023, China.

Abstract

The use of antibiotics in animal production raises great public safety concerns; therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of substitutes for antibiotics. In recent decades, plant-derived feed additives have been widely investigated as antibiotic alternatives for use in animal health and production because they exert multiple biological functions and are less likely to induce resistance development. This review summarizes the research history and classification of phytogenic feed additives and their main functions, potential modes of action, influencing factors, and potential negative effects. Further, we highlight the challenges in developing sustainable, safe, and affordable plant-derived antibiotic alternatives for use in livestock production.

Keywords: Antibiotic alternatives; Health; Livestock animals; Phytogenic feed additives; Production.

Publication types

Review