PHYTOGENICS, SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT THAT POSITIVELY IMPACTS THE PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF LAYERS
The selection work carried out for years by the genetic houses allows us to enjoy the outstanding productive performance of the modern layer. In order to, these birds to express their genetic potential, it is necessary to provide them with optimal nutritional, environmental, sanitary and management conditions.
These benefits improve the digestion of ingredients, absorption of nutrients and, as a consequence, the zootechnical performance of the birds, therefore, phytogenics are considered natural growth promoters.
Challenges in commercial egg production.
The growing disparity between the production cost of the finished product and its sale price makes the industry see the need to create strategies that ensure its economic sustainability over time (Yegani and Korver, 2008). Some of these strategies have been the increase in housing density, the automation of production farms and the implementation of nutritional formulas under cost analysis. The increase in housing density has resulted in greater competition for water and feed, negatively impacting feed intake (Tang et al., 2012) weight gain and body condition (Zhang et al., 2018), feed conversion and viability (Benyi et al., 2006) of poultry flocks. The creation of efficient nutritional models using raw materials according to their economic value in each region of the world can force the use of ingredients that, due to their nature, can have pro-inflammatory effects in the bird’s intestine. Sometimes, these negative effects affect the performance of the birds in production in terms of egg quality (Kang et al., 2018), their weight (Mirfenderski, 2015), the egg mass produced (Andersonetal., 2004), the health and the general welfare (Li et al., 2017) of the layer. Additionally, new regulations on the use of antimicrobials have even led to their prohibition in some countries (Dibner et. al, 2005), leaving aside this tool that has been used since the 1940s in order to improve performance (Dibner et., al. 2005) proposed by the manuals of the genetic houses. For all of the above, it is necessary to develop tools to reduce the impact of these challenges on the economic performance of farms.
Active compounds and mechanisms of action of Phytogenics:
Phytogenics, which include plant extracts, essential oils and their active ingredients (Mountzouris et, al 2011.) are natural compounds that can be derived from herbs, spices, roots, fruit coatings and tree bark (Windisch et al., 2008; Yang et al., 2015). These compounds are selected for their active components such as carvacrol, thymol, capsanthin and cineol (Mountzouris et. al, 2010), substances that can act as antimicrobials, antioxidants (Applegate et. al, 2010), anti-inflammatories, stimulating the production of digestive secretions (Smith-Palmer et al., 1998; Dorman and Deans, 2000; Wei and Shibamoto, 2007) as pancreatic enzymes (Applegate et, al, 2010), modulating the production of cytokines and the response of the immune system. Based on the knowledge of the pathophysiology of the situations or entities that can cause performance losses and the mechanism of action of phytogenics, the latter can be prescribed in quantity and time so that they even act as natural growth promoters (Windisch et al., 2008). However, science must investigate much more to discover the scope of these extracts based on the understanding of their interaction with the ingredients of the diet, in the conditions found in the gastrointestinal tract depending on the age of the birds and other variables (Windisch et al. al., 2008). It is necessary to study the impact of phytogenics on the general health of animals and therefore on their productive performance.
Physiological impact of phytogenics
It has been claimed that phytogenics can have a positive influence on the morphology of certain tissues, blood serum values used as biomarkers of the health status of birds and on the quality of eggshell formation. Research has shown that phytogenics positively affect ovarian morphology, serum lipid parameters, shell quality, percentage of egg production, overall bird performance (Ghajarbeygi et al., 2015; Wang et al., 2019) and bird integrity. intestinal being some of these variables directly or indirectly indicative of the economic performance of the flocks. These studies have managed to develop phytogenics with antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties for practical use in industry and improve poultry performance (Bozkurt et al., 2014; Albour-Elkhair et al., 2018; Zhai et al., 2018). The prohibition of antibiotics as growth promoters in Europe (Castanon, 2007) and in other parts of the world, the demand for safety by consumers and the monitoring of health authorities on the achievement of products free of traces of antibiotics have forced the search for alternatives other than antibiotics as growth promoters and the profit margin of the companies’ activity (Yegani and Korver, 2008). The scientific community and the animal production industry have been showing growing interest in the application of these developments in the field due to their influence on the performance and sustainability of intestinal health in production animals. The prohibition of antibiotics as growth promoters in Europe (Castanon, 2007) and in other parts of the world, the demand for safety by consumers and the monitoring of health authorities on the achievement of products free of traces of antibiotics have forced the search for alternatives other than antibiotics as growth promoters and the profit margin of the companies’ activity (Yegani and Korver, 2008). The scientific community and the animal production industry have been showing growing interest in the application of these developments in the field due to their influence on the performance and sustainability of intestinal health in production animals. The prohibition of antibiotics as growth promoters in Europe (Castanon, 2007) and in other parts of the world, the demand for safety by consumers and the monitoring of health authorities on the achievement of products free of traces of antibiotics have forced the search for alternatives other than antibiotics as growth promoters and the profit margin of the companies’ activity (Yegani and Korver, 2008). The scientific community and the animal production industry have been showing growing interest in the application of these developments in the field due to their influence on the performance and sustainability of intestinal health in production animals. the demand for safety by consumers and the monitoring of the health authorities on the achievement of products free of traces of antibiotics have forced the search for alternatives other than antibiotics as growth promoters and the profit margin of the activity of the companies (Yegani and Korver, 2008). The scientific community and the animal production industry have been showing growing interest in the application of these developments in the field due to their influence on the performance and sustainability of intestinal health in production animals. the demand for safety by consumers and the monitoring of the health authorities on the achievement of products free of traces of antibiotics have forced the search for alternatives other than antibiotics as growth promoters and the profit margin of the activity of the companies (Yegani and Korver, 2008). The scientific community and the animal production industry have been showing growing interest in the application of these developments in the field due to their influence on the performance and sustainability of intestinal health in production animals.
Incidence of phytogenics in the economic performance of birds
Many studies have made it possible to describe the potential effect of phytogenics (particularly in the case of essential oils) in poultry production, their benefits can reduce the impact of some aggressors such as low digestibility raw materials, heat stress, beak trimming, early production and others that are commonly found in commercial poultry farms that trigger pro-inflammatory processes, reduced digestibility and nutrient absorption, depression of consumption, etc. In some scientific works, for example, it has been possible to improve egg production and optimize the response of the immune system in laying hens (Azeke and Ekpo, 2009), these effects that result in the economic result of poultry farms. Another benefit that phytogenics offer us and that can improve the economic result in poultry activity is their antimicrobial power against pathogens such as E. coli and Clostridium and therefore be effective in reducing the impact of clinical signs of necrotic enteritis (Jamroz, et al, 2005). Antibiotics, commonly used as growth promoters, can directly and unavoidably affect additional beneficial bacteria, and affect the productive performance and general health of the birds. In contrast, natural antimicrobial substances have antimicrobial action against pathogens and at the same time reinforce the natural mechanisms necessary for reducing the impact of future bacterial challenges (Albour-Elkhair et al., 2018).
Conclusions
Providing the right conditions for birds to express their full genetic potential should be a main objective in industrial farms and thus achieve a profitable production system. These favorable conditions involve taking care of nutrition, health, environment, management and other aspects. Failure to achieve the optimal state of each of these conditions exposes birds to challenges that can harm the development of the brooding bird and the production of the adult bird. Phytogenics are scientific developments with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties that optimize the processes of digestion and absorption of nutrients, improving the performance of birds, which can be considered a natural growth promoter.
Author of the text: BIOMIN
References
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