Probiotics as an Alternative Approach to Antibiotics for Safe
Poultry Meat Production
Shafia Tehseen Gul1
and
Abdullah F Alsayeqh2*
1Department
of Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-38040, Pakistan; 2Department
of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary
Medicine, Qassim University, Buraidah 51452, Qassim, Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia;
*Corresponding author:
a.alsayeqh@qu.edu.sa
Abstract
Poultry industry is growing at large scale being good source of animal origin
protein for the humans. To have optimum output in terms of meat and eggs many
practices are being applied to the commercial flocks. Different types of the
growth promoters including phytochemicals, amino acids, organic acids and
antibiotics at sub-therapeutic dosages are used. This use of antibiotics as
growth promoter led to the antimicrobial resistance which is big challenge for
the poultry industry in terms of infection control and residues in the meat. It
also has concerns in terms of One Health Triad. Because this sub-therapeutic use
of antibiotics leads to the emergence of superbugs for the birds as well for
humans. There is a dire need to find out some alternative approaches those not
only improve the growth performance as well as boost the immune system of the
birds that prevents the outbreaks of the infections. Many prebiotics and
probiotics are being identified those can be used in poultry to improve the
efficiency of flocks, quality of meat and also enhance the profit margins of the
framers. Probiotics have many advantages over the other growth promoters as per
the published literature. So, in this article a comprehensive review of the
probiotics, types, how they affect the bird’s physiology and immune system that
can make them a safer choice, has been done so that they can pave the way about
future of the probiotics for the poultry scientists and farmers.
To Cite This Article:
Gul ST
and
Alsayeqh AF, 2022. Probiotics as an
alternative approach to antibiotics for safe poultry meat production.
Pak Vet J, 42(3): 285-291. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2022.061