Zingiber officinale (GINGER)

Zingiber officinale, commonly known as ginger, is a spicy plant with active ingredients such as gingerol and shogaol (Fig. 1). Ginger has been widely used in traditional medicine to improve digestion, as it has been shown to increase the digestive enzyme protease (zingibain). Ginger is well known for its antibacterial and antiphlogistic properties, in addition to its ability to lower cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. In this chapter, we focus on the use of ginger as a feed supplement for enhancing poultry nutrition and the impact of this phenomenon on productive efficiency, carcass characteristics, hematology, gut microbiota, and toxicity.

Keywords: Blood biochemistry, Carcass traits, Gut microbiota, Ginger, Productive performance, Toxicity.