PARTNER FEATURE ▶▶▶
Promoting growth and feed efficiency with bioactives
The demand for ruminant protein sources is growing. Due to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance, the livestock sector is expected to increase production without the use of AGPs . Plant extracts appear to be a promising alternative option.
BY SEBASTIEN CONSTANTIN, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER BIOACTIVES, PANCOSMA
S DMI (kg/d) Cold carcass (kg) 26
417.50 1.70 8.96
ince the 1940s the livestock market has been restruc- tured to meet the global population’s food require- ments. Intensification has been accompanied by great improvements in genetics, housing and other
farm practices. Research in animal nutrition has also contribut- ed to a deeper knowledge of digestive physiology, require- ments, as well as a better knowledge of raw materials and their nutrient contents. This is why there have beem remarka- ble improvements in animal performance in recent decades. In the field of animal nutrition, livestock performance has also been greatly improved through the supplementation of anti- microbial growth promoters (AGPs) which are antimicrobial agents fed at a non-therapeutic concentration level. Today, driven by growing population and improved incomes, global demand for livestock products is forecast to increase in the years ahead. The demand for ruminant protein sources (milk and meat) is expected to have grown at an annual rate of
Table 1 – Results suggest that plant extracts could be used to replace monensin in commer- cial beef feedlot diets without impairing animal performance and by improving integrity status of the animals.
Parameter Monensin End Weight (kg) ADG (kg)
242.70
Plant Extracts 429.30 1.77
10.05 247.30 ▶ ALL ABOUT FEED | Volume 28, No. 7, 2020
P-value 0.01 0.04 0.09 0.10
1 – 1.5% between 2006 and 2050. However, consumer expec- tations have changed and, from now on, the forecast demand is expected to be not only quantitative but also qualitative. The livestock sector still needs to increase its production but in a challenging context of sustainability and health expecta- tions from consumers. Indeed, new concerns emerge all the time regarding the environmental impact of agriculture. Effluent management, pesticide use and carbon footprint are daily topics of discussion. Among these concerns, the use of AGPs is an issue today worldwide due to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. The use of AGPs can potentially com- promise the therapeutic effectiveness of antimicrobial agents in veterinary and human medicine. The World Health Organi- zation has released recommendations to restrict the use of AGPs. Several countries have already followed this recom- mendation, including the European Union with an AGP ban in 2006.
Ongoing challenge The proposed mechanisms of action of antimicrobial agents are mainly based on direct antibiotic influence on the micro- bial composition. In ruminants, ionophores support a shift in fermentation from acetate to propionate by modifying the bacterial population. As propionate is the main glucose pre- cursor for gluconeogenesis, this increased propionate supply provides more energy to the animal, supporting growth and feed efficiency. Nevertheless, recent findings have shown that the mode of action of antimicrobial agents is more complex than simply affecting microbial populations. Antimicrobial agents also appear to induce physiological responses by the host and particularly immune responses. A better under- standing of the mechanisms of antimicrobial agents will facil- itate the development of effective alternatives which can meet the needs of consumers.
Plant extracts as an alternative With the objective of finding new alternatives to AGPs, plant extracts appear to be of interest as they have antimicrobial properties, but also due to their ability to trigger specific receptors that induce host responses. Pancosma, an
PHOTO: PANCOSMA
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