For centuries, plant-based ingredients extracted from herbs, spices, and
medicinal flora have been used to enhance feed quality, flavor, and preservation, as
well as in traditional healing medicine. As our understanding of their functional
mechanisms grows, new opportunities arise for their application in the treatment of
metabolic disorders and as feed supplements to promote positive physiological
responses in various animal species. These naturally derived products are
environmentally friendly and safe for living organisms, offering a wide range of
beneficial properties, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiallergic, anticancer,
antimutagenic, liver-protective, and immunomodulatory effects. Following the
European Union's prohibition on antibiotic use as growth promoters in food-producing
animals in 2006, researchers have turned their attention to natural alternatives, such as
phytogenic substances, also referred to as phytobiotics or botanicals. These compounds
have been demonstrated to boost animal productivity, encourage feed consumption,
enhance nutrient absorption, and support optimal intestinal health. Promising feed
additives include medicinal plants, such as milk thistle seeds, turmeric, rosemary
leaves, and thyme. Additionally, bee pollen and propolis, which have both plant and
animal origins, have been explored as substitutes for antibiotics and coccidiostats in
animal nutrition, and have shown potential as growth enhancers and immune boosters.
This book provides a comprehensive overview of the most commonly used natural
substances as alternatives to growth-promoting antibiotics and details their mechanisms
of action and effects in animals. The aim is to update the current knowledge and
promote further research to identify additional beneficial natural molecules that can
help reduce the negative impacts of antibiotics on animals, humans, and the
environment.
Keywords: Animal nutrition, Antibiotic alternatives, Natural growth promoters (NGPs), Phytogenic feed additives.
