Probiotic microorganisms and herbs in ruminant nutrition as natural modulators of health and production efficiency – a review

Abstract

Probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, direct-fed microbials, and herbs may improve the production efficiency in ruminants. The beneficial effect of selected specific microbes on animal health is reflected in protection against pathogens, stimulation of immunological response, increased production capacity, and mitigation of stress effects. Phytobiotic plants used in the nutrition of ruminant animals increase feed palatability. This in turn has a positive effect on feed intake and, consequently, increases production performance. Pectins, terpenes, phenols, saponins, and antibiotic-like substances contained in phytobiotics prevent irritation, diarrhea, and increase the activity of digestive enzymes. Thanks to the abundance of biologically active substances such as flavonoids, glycosides, coumarins, carotenoids, polyphenols, etc., phytobiotics exhibit immunostimulatory and antioxidant properties as well. Given such a wide range of effects on health status and production parameters in animals, an attempt was made in this review to compile the current knowledge on the possible application of these natural growth stimulants in ruminant nutrition and to demonstrate their potential benefits and/or risks for breeding these animals.

Effect of yeast probiotic supplements in the diet of young ewes on the metabolic activity of rumen microbiota

“…In ruminants, probiotics stimulate the reproduction, vital and metabolic activity of the ruminal microbiota, inhibit the development of pathogenic microbes in the digestive tract, exert immunomodulatory effects, and increase productive qualities of animals (Ogbuewu et al, 2018;Markowiak and Śliżewska, 2018;Bąkowski and Kiczorowska, 2021;Michalak et al, 2021;Vovk et al, 2021).…”

“…Many scientific experiments have shown that the use of fungal-based probiotics in the diet of ruminants stabilises the acidity of the rumen environment, activates microbial processes, stimulates the breakdown of fibre by ruminal microbiota, improves substrate supply to energetic and synthetic processes in tissues, as well as increases milk, meat and wool productivity of animals (Fuller, 1989;Newbold et al, 1996;Lee et al, 2003;Kutasi et al, 2004;Guedes et al, 2008;Desnoyers et al, 2009;Bąkowski and Kiczorowska, 2021;Michalak et al, 2021;Vovk et al, 2021).…”

“…Recently, probiotic supplements based on the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have started to be widely applied in ruminant feeding practices (Ogbuewu et al, 2018;Mohammed et al, 2018;Bąkowski and Kiczorowska, 2021;Michalak et al, 2021;Vovk et al, 2021). Studies conducted in re-cent years demonstrated that dietary yeast probiotic supplements exerted the most pronounced positive effects on rumen digestion processes and the productivity of young ruminants, including calves, lambs and kids (Fadel and Abusamra, 2007;Lascano et al, 2009;Moharrery and Asadi, 2009;Kowalik et al, 2012;Pienaar et al, 2012;Issakowicz et al, 2013;Comert et al, 2015;Mohammed et al, 2018;Estrada-Angulo et al, 2021).…”

“…It was also found that the highest significant indices of animal growth rate during the experimental period were obtained for 0.8% probiotic supplementation. Bąkowski and Kiczorowska, 2021;Michalak et al, 2021;Vovk et al, 2021).…”

Long-term effects of early-life rumen microbiota modulation on dairy cow production performance and methane emissions

“…The efficiency of digestion is linked to both animal genetics ( Brito et al, 2020 ) and characteristics of microbial ecosystem in the gut ( Kruger Ben Shabat et al, 2016 ). The function of microbiota can be improved by, e.g., optimizing the feeding or adding feed supplements ( Beauchemin et al, 2020 ; Erickson and Kalscheur, 2020 ), by modulating the microbial communities with antimicrobials or pro-and prebiotics ( Cameron and McAllister, 2016 ; Bąkowski and Kiczorowska, 2021 ). However, the fully established gut microbiota is resistant to changes, and often reverts to pre-manipulation state shortly after the end of the treatment ( Weimer, 2015 ; Weimer et al, 2017 ).…”