A review on the potential use of eubiotics in non-chicken poultry species

Abstract

As the demand for poultry products increases, safe nutritional measures should be implemented to ensure successful diversification of the poultry industry with non-chicken poultry (NCP) species such as quail, turkey, ostrich, waterfowls, and guinea fowls. Thus, this review focuses on the current and future utility of eubiotics in NCP species by outlining the challenges and potential benefits that are associated with their utilization. Eubiotics are a group of feed additives, including probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, organic acids, and essential oils, that are safe and exhibit antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities, prudent in an era where multi-drug antimicrobial resistance poses a grave threat to human health. Using eubiotics, separately or in combination, in NCP diets could enhance gut health, immune responses, growth performance, and product quality. However, their mechanisms of action are not fully understood, and their synergistic effects are not clearly outlined especially for NCP species. Moreover, inconsistent results have been reported, possibly due to various sources, application methods, production systems, bird types, and variations in rearing sites (macro- and micro-climatic conditions). We postulate that their extensive adoption in diets of NCP species could, in the future, deliver safe, efficient, and sustainable poultry production systems. We conclude that correct application methods, optimal dosages, and understanding of their synergistic actions could ensure alternative poultry systems that would contribute significantly to global food safety and nutrition security.

Keywords: Feed additives; Food safety; Gut health; Performance; Poultry.

Fig. 1

The anticipated benefits of eubiotics in non-conventional poultry birds