Some abstracts do not have video files because ASAS was denied recording rights.
1035
Phytonutrients as non-nutritive feed additives to enhance growth and host immunity in broiler chickens
The gut represents a continuously evolving ecosystem where a dynamic interaction between host immune, neuroendocrine and enteroendocrine cells and the gut microbiota influences normal physiological development and homeostasis. New antibiotic regulatory policies and cage-free rearing systems in poultry production now challenge animal scientists to think outside of the box to develop alternative strategies for sustainable animal agriculture. This presentation will discuss using dietary phytonutrients to enhance poultry growth and modulate innate immunity against enteric pathogens. Phytochemicals are non-nutritive, plant-derived chemicals, many with disease-preventing properties. A growing body of scientific evidence has demonstrated that many of the health-promoting activities of phytochemicals are mediated through their ability to improve host defense against microbial infections and tumors. During the last 10 years, our research has provided science-based evidence for the beneficial effects of certain phytochemicals in the poultry immune system. Many of these phytonutrients are now commercially used to increase poultry growth and reduce disease-associated losses. Furthermore, our latest study demonstrated that dietary phytonutrients influence the intestinal microbiome through “crosstalk” with the host immune system to maintain gut homeostasis and gut health. These studies collectively suggest that dietary feeding of certain phytonutrients reduces the negative consequences of enteric diseases, in part, through alteration of the gut microbiome.
Keywords: plant extracts, poultry, immunity