Plants and plant extracts for improving animal productivity

Abstract

Plant secondary metabolites are a natural resource that is largely unexploited in ‘conventional’ animal production systems. They have in the past been generally considered as a source of anti-nutritional factors, and not as a source of exploitable performance-enhancing compounds. Recent and continuing changes to legislation controlling the use of animal feed additives have stimulated interest in bioactive secondary metabolites as alternative performance enhancers. They are broadly compatible with current thinking on the future of agriculture and food in Europe, and with consumer opinion. Interest has been largely on their manipulative role in the digestive and absorptive processes of the hindgut. The present paper will review the use of plants and their extracts to manipulate the rumen microbial ecosystem to improve the efficiency of rumen metabolism. The bioavailability of secondary metabolites and their actions on peripheral metabolism will be considered with a view to improving animal performance. The challenge of delivering plants and their extracts to animals outdoors in a controlled manner will be discussed. Much of what is known about the beneficial roles of plant secondary metabolites on animal performance is circumstantial and is based on tenuous data. In order to more fully exploit their bioactive properties for the benefit of animal performance, modes of action need to be understood. Uptake will be dependent on proven efficacy and consumer acceptance of assurances relating to safety, welfare and the environment.

Unfolding the codes of short-term feed appetence in farm and companion animals. A comparative oronasal nutrient sensing biology review

“…There has been a lot of research on the potential benefits of herbs and spices in farm animal diets as a way to promote health and production, particularly after the banning of feed antibiotic growth promoters in Europe (Stammati et al 1999;Langhout 2000;Demir et al 2003;Greathead 2003;McIntosh et al 2003). Essential oils and/or oleoresins of garlic and capsicum, cinnamic aldehyde, carvacrol and pipperine (main active compound of black pepper) among others, have been used for their food flavor enhancing properties.…”

Performance, Immunity, Meat Composition and Fatty Acid Pattern in Broilers after Dietary Supplementation of Fermented Ginkgo biloba and Citrus junos

“…Due to their beneficial properties, according to World Health Organization (WHO) around 80% of the total global populations (especially in the developing countries) depends on the medicinal plants based medicines for their health care [2,3] On the other hand, antibiotic growth promoters were utilized since 1950s for long time in animal production for allowing adequate productivity [4]; however due to their antimicrobial resistance in humans it was banned in the European Union on January 1 st 2006, and then all over the world it becomes an important issue of banning in the animal production [5,6]. Therefore, the aromatic plants attracted by the researchers as alternative source for the animal production and health, as they are being utilized for long in the human medicines and food products.…”

“…Different the aromatic plants, their extracts, essential oils tested as natural feed additives found to be advantageous as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters, and they are considered as the generally recognized as safe and are residue free [7]. The feed additives derived from the natural plants are known as the botanicals or phytogenics or phytobiotics which can be utilized in the animal's diet to promote the performance and quality of the resulted feed and animal products [5,6,8].…”

Essential oil research: past, present and future

“…[24] A rather new and promising fi eld of application is the use as feed additives in farm animals to substitute 'in-feed antibiotics' , which have been banned in the EU since the beginning of 2006. [25,26] Due to their characteristics, the functions and eff ects of EOs are claimed to improve feed characteristics, the digestion and performance of the animals and the characteristics of animal products. Comparatively little information exists on their mode of action and functionality, especially on their 'non-nutritive value' in animal health and welfare, due to the fact that many reports deal only with the practical results of commercial products, lack disclosure of their specifi c compositions and avoid statements on pharmacological eff ects and health claims.…”