Szabó, R.T.; Kovács-Weber, M.; Zimborán, Á.; Kovács, L.; Erdélyi, M. Effects of Short- and Medium-Chain Fatty Acids on Production, Meat Quality, and Microbial Attributes—A Review. Molecules2023, 28, 4956.
Szabó, R.T.; Kovács-Weber, M.; Zimborán, Á.; Kovács, L.; Erdélyi, M. Effects of Short- and Medium-Chain Fatty Acids on Production, Meat Quality, and Microbial Attributes—A Review. Molecules 2023, 28, 4956.
Szabó, R.T.; Kovács-Weber, M.; Zimborán, Á.; Kovács, L.; Erdélyi, M. Effects of Short- and Medium-Chain Fatty Acids on Production, Meat Quality, and Microbial Attributes—A Review. Molecules2023, 28, 4956.
Szabó, R.T.; Kovács-Weber, M.; Zimborán, Á.; Kovács, L.; Erdélyi, M. Effects of Short- and Medium-Chain Fatty Acids on Production, Meat Quality, and Microbial Attributes—A Review. Molecules 2023, 28, 4956.
Abstract
The non-therapeutic use of antimicrobials in poultry production contribute to the spread of drug-resistant pathogens in both birds and humans. Antibiotics are known to enhance feed effi-ciency and promote growth and weight gain of poultry. New regulatory requirements and con-sumer preferences have led to a reduced use of antibiotics in poultry production and discover natural alternatives to the antibiotic growth promoters. This interest is not just focused on the di-rect removal or inhibition of the causative microorganisms but also the prevention diseases caused by enteric pathogens using a range of feed additives. A group of promising feed additives is short- and medium-chain fatty acids and their derivatives. MCFAs possess antibacterial, anticoccidial and antiviral effects. Also, it has been proven that these acids act synergistically if they are used together with organic acids, essential oils, or probiotics. These fatty acids also benefit intestinal health integrity and homeostasis in broilers. Other effects have also been documented, including increases in intestinal angiogenesis and gene expression of tight junctions. The aim of this review is to give an overview of SCFA, MCFA as alternatives of antibiotic growth promoters and by sum-marizing the current finding in the literature, to show their possible benefits on production, meat quality and gut health in poultry.
Keywords
SCFA; MCFA; broilers; poultry; gut health; antimicrobial effect
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Animal Science, Veterinary Science and Zoology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
