<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>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 antibioticlike 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.</p></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 antibioticlike 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.

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

Annals of Animal Science

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, direct-fed microbials, and herbs may improve the production efficiency in ruminants. The beneficial effect of selected...

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

Published Online: Jan 29, 2021

Page range: 3 - 28

Received: Feb 11, 2020

Accepted: Jul 23, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2020-0081

Keywords
ruminants, probiotics, herbs, health status, production efficiency

© 2020 Maciej Bąkowski et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

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

Published Online: Jan 29, 2021

Page range: 3 - 28

Received: Feb 11, 2020

Accepted: Jul 23, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2020-0081

Keywordsruminants, probiotics, herbs, health status, production efficiency

© 2020 Maciej Bąkowski et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
ruminants, probiotics, herbs, health status, production efficiency