The overuse of antibiotics has led to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in poultry production. However, there are some additives, like probiotics and prebiotics, which can be used as alternatives to reduce the need for antibiotics. In that sense, how can we determine if feed additives are helpful for birds? Simply put, maintaining a healthy gut is crucial for the overall well-being of poultry, since it leads to better growth and immunity. That means that developing models to induce intestinal inflammation and thus test different nutraceuticals (probiotics, prebiotics, organic acids, enzymes, essential oils, and phytobiotics) with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties can help us on that matter. In this episode, Dr. Tellez-Isais discusses his work regarding the search for solutions for pathogens by developing probiotics and other feed additives through models that evaluate intestinal inflammation and biomarkers that measure the effectiveness of nutraceuticals.
“We’ve developed different models, which allow us to induce intestinal inflammation, and biomarkers, so we can measure whether a nutraceutical is effective in any of these different models.” – Dr. Guillermo Tellez-Isaias
