Next Gen Biotics in Poultry Production Harnessing Postbiotics and Parabiotics for Sustainable Veterinary Medicine

Transitioning to Next-Gen Biotics for Sustainable Poultry Production: Beyond probiotics: Exploring the potential of postbiotics and parabiotics in veterinary medicine.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 and came into effect on 1st January 2016. The goals cover the three dimensions of sustainable development: Economic growth, Social inclusion, and Environmental protection.

The poultry sector, being an important sector that provides food and nutrition security, income and livelihood sources, employment. The poultry sector has the potential to help in achieving most of the SDGs. It is fact that the contribution of poultry sector in food security is high significant and impeccable.

Therefore, all stakeholders should work together to achieve the SDG targets by 2030 and make the globe as best place to live in for future generations.

Globally, poultry production has been an integral part of human activities, providing a major source of livelihood and food to humans. The continuous increase in the world population with an attendant rise in the demand for safe poultry products requires a global strategy for sustainable poultry production. With growing concerns over antimicrobial resistance, abolition or reduction in the use of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs), and rising consumer demand for chemical or antibiotic-free products, identifying and applying safe, natural and economical alternatives including prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics for sustainable poultry production has become imperative.

The beneficial effects of the dietary inclusion of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics as AGP  lternatives in poultry production include improved poultry health, growth performance and feed efficiency. Generally, the mechanisms through which prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics exert  eneficial effects on poultry include competitive exclusion and antagonism of pathogens, modulation of intestinal microbiota, production of antimicrobial substances, stimulation of immune system, and  nhancement of nutrient digestibility and intestinal morphology development. The properties and  eneficial effects of these emerging alternatives suggest their contribution to the improvement of poultry health, through the stimulation of diverse physiological functions (although not entirely elucidated) with better growth performance and feed efficiency.

Transitioning to Next-Gen Biotics for Sustainable Poultry Production

The poultry industry is under tremendous pressure to improve avian health and performance while
reducing antibiotic dispensation due to concerns regarding antimicrobial resistance and food safety.
In this scenario, postbiotics and parabiotics have emerged as viable alternatives to traditional feed
additives.

Here’s a comprehensive overview: Next-Gen Biotics:

Probiotics: Beneficial microorganisms promoting gut health.
Prebiotics: Nutrient-rich substrates feeding beneficial microbes.
Postbiotics: Non-living microbial products with bioactive compounds
Paraprobiotics: Inactive beneficial microorganisms.
Synbiotics: Combination of probiotics and prebiotics.

Open-access Advantages of the Use of Postbiotics in Poultry Production: A New Concept Recently, postbiotics derived from the GRAS yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae PTCC5269, have been reported as promising molecules with different functional attributes assed in vitro (Hosseini et al., Citation2023). S. cerevisiae, commonly known as baker’s yeast, is a well-studied yeast species with versatile applications in various industries, including food, biotechnology, and healthcare.

Postbiotics share a similar mechanism of action with probiotics, but as they are non-living organisms, they are different (Thanh et al., 2009). At the same time, purified metabolites are not considered postbiotics. International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) presented the postbiotic’s definition in mid-2021. Postbiotics are a source of soluble factors that are secreted by
living bacteria or released after bacterial lysis. They are used in poultry to improve gut health,
immune function, and overall health. Some sources of postbiotics in poultry include:

Saccharomyces cerevisiae spp. boulardii which is a non-pathogenic yeast strain widely recognized
for its probiotic properties and therapeutic potential in various gastrointestinal disorders.

Postbiotics constitute a most promising choice for a safer and more environment- friendly approach to overcoming pathogenic challenges in aquaculture. Postbiotics are part of an animal’s microbiome and refer to inactivated cells and their metabolites that confer health benefits to the host when ingested.

One of the most extensively studied yeast postbiotics is beta-glucans, which are polysaccharides found in the cell walls of yeast. Beta-glucans have been shown to enhance the immune response in animals by stimulating macrophages, promoting cytokine production, and improving gut barrier function (Tintoré et al., Citation2023). Additionally, yeast-derived mannoproteins have demonstrated prebiotic effects by selectively promoting the growth of beneficial gut microbiota such as Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria.

Yeast parabiotics studies have shown that heat-inactivated yeast cells can enhance the growth performance, nutrient utilization, and immune response in animals (Zhu et al., Citation2020). Furthermore, yeast parabiotics have been investigated for their potential to mitigate the negative effects of mycotoxins in feed, offering a natural and safe solution for mycotoxin management in animal production systems (Khani et al., Citation2024).

The incorporation of yeast-derived postbiotics and parabiotics into animal feed presents a promising
strategy to promote animal health, improve performance, and reduce the need for antibiotics.

The future prospects for postbiotics in poultry production by 2030 are bright, with significant growth
projected due to their role in promoting gut health, improving growth performance, reducing
pathogens, and serving as a safe, stable, and antibiotic-free alternative to conventional growth
promoters and probiotics. Postbiotics are expected to drive sustainable production, meet consumer
demand for antibiotic-free meat, and help manage the challenges of climate change and antibiotic
resistance.

Sustainable and Antibiotic-Free Production:

By 2030, postbiotics will likely be a cornerstone of antibiotic-free poultry production, meeting
global consumer demand for safer food and contributing to sustainable food security.

Future Outlook and Challenges

Market Growth:

The postbiotics market is anticipated to grow significantly, with one report projecting it will be worth $224.8 million by 2030, indicating strong market adoption.

Addressing Heat Stress:
Research is ongoing to understand how postbiotics can mitigate the effects of heat stress on poultry, which is a major concern for the industry and could become more critical by 2030.

Overall, postbiotics represent a promising, science-backed category of feed additives that will likely see increased adoption and innovation in poultry production by 2030, driving improvements in animal health, performance, and food safety.