[Current animal feeds with antimicrobial activity].

Among the growth-promoting substances and factors contributing to fodder utilization in growing farm animals, also called nutritive, ergotropic means, the antibiotics and some synthetic chemotherapeutics have acquired special importance. To avoid the hazardous effect in humans consuming products of animal origin there should be no residual amounts of these stimulating agents in such products. That is why it has been assumed in a number of countries to use for the same purpose only nutritive means that are not applied as therapeutic agents. Such means should neither induce resistence to antibiotics and chemotherapeutics in microorganism nor should they be resorbed by the alimentary tract (or resorption should be negligible) or they are rapidly eliminated from the animal body, leaving no residual amounts. They should likewise act chiefly against gram-positive organisms, inducing no allergic reactions in the animals. Described are the following nutritive antibiotics: flavophospholipol (bambermycin, menomycin--flavomycin, producing a nutritive effect also in ruminants with a developed forestomach, and rebuilds sensitivity in antibiotic-resistant organisms belonging to Enterobacteriaceae), avoparcin (avotan--also active in ruminants with a developed forestomach), virginiamycin (staphylomycin--escalin, stafac), zincbacitracin (bacipharmin, baciferm), grisin (kormogrisin, of a road spectrum, with an antimycotic effect, raising the fertilization rate and activating phagocitosis), vitamycin-A (vitamycin--active also at retinol deficiency, lambdamycin, nosiheptide (primofax), efrotomycin. Due consideration is given to such chemotherapeutics as nitrovin (payson, paison), carbadox (mecadox, fortigro, of a broad spectrum retained for a longer period in the body of pigs), olaquindox (bio-N-celbar--of a broad spectrum, particularly with regard to gram-negative organisms, applied at present as a therapeutic and prophylactic preparation), cyadox (with a broad sprectrum). The following polyether ionophoric antibiotics are mentioned: monensine (rumensine, elancoban), lassalocide (avatek, lasotek), slinomycin(eustin, ustin, coxistac), lonomycin (emercide), harasine. Dosage rates and other data are given characterising the respective preparations.