Abd El-Tawab M M, Youssef I M I, Bakr H A, Fthenakis G C, Giadinis N D
Pol J Vet Sci. 2016 Dec 1;19(4):893-906. doi: 10.1515/pjvs-2016-0114.
Small ruminants represent an important economic source in small farm systems and agriculture. Feed is the main component of livestock farming, which has gained special attention to improve animal performance. Many studies have been done to improve feed utilisation through addition of feed additives. For a long period, antibiotics have been widely used as growth promoters in livestock diets. Due to their ban in many countries, search for alternative feed additives has been intensified. Probiotics are one of these alternatives recognised to be safe to the animals. Use of probiotics in small ruminant nutrition has been confirmed to improve animal health, productivity and immunity. Probiotics improved growth performance through enhancing of rumen microbial ecosystem, nutrient digestibility and feed conversion rate. Moreover, probiotics have been reported to stabilise rumen pH, increase volatile fatty acids production and to stimulate lactic acid utilising protozoa, resulting in a highly efficient rumen function. Furthermore, use of probiotics has been found to increase milk production and can reduce incidence of neonatal diarrhea and mortality. However, actual mechanisms through which probiotics exert these functions are not known. Since research on application of probiotics in small ruminants is scarce, the present review attempts to discuss the potential roles of this class of feed additives on productive performance and health status of these animals.
小型反刍动物是小型农场系统和农业中的重要经济来源。饲料是畜牧业的主要组成部分,为提高动物生产性能受到了特别关注。人们已经开展了许多研究来通过添加饲料添加剂提高饲料利用率。长期以来,抗生素一直被广泛用作家畜日粮中的生长促进剂。由于许多国家禁止使用抗生素,因此对替代饲料添加剂的研究力度加大。益生菌是公认的对动物安全的替代物之一。在小型反刍动物营养中使用益生菌已被证实可改善动物健康、生产力和免疫力。益生菌通过增强瘤胃微生物生态系统、养分消化率和饲料转化率来改善生长性能。此外,据报道,益生菌可稳定瘤胃pH值,增加挥发性脂肪酸的产生,并刺激利用乳酸的原生动物,从而实现高效的瘤胃功能。此外,已发现使用益生菌可提高产奶量,并可降低新生仔畜腹泻发病率和死亡率。然而,益生菌发挥这些功能的实际机制尚不清楚。由于关于益生菌在小型反刍动物中的应用研究较少,本综述试图探讨这类饲料添加剂对这些动物生产性能和健康状况的潜在作用。