Probiotics in poultry: a comprehensive review

Background The increase in global population has elevated the food demand which in turn escalated the food animal production systems, especially poultry industries. For a long time, antibiotics are used worldwide to safeguard animals from diseases and for high production performances. Over usage of antibiotics has led to severe side effects such as antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacteria, harming the beneficial bacteria in the gut, and stacking up of residuals in animal food products. It is the need of the hour to find a competent alternative to antibiotics. Probiotics have gained major attention as safe, feasible, and efficient alternatives to commercial antibiotics. Main body Probiotics meaning “prolife” are live, non-pathogenic microorganisms that when given in sufficient amount confer an advantage to the host health and well-being. Probiotics are reported to improve growth, production performance, immunity, and digestibility, safeguard gut microflora, and enhance egg and meat quality traits in poultry. Proper selection of probiotics strains is crucial before their commercialization. This systematic review focuses on the mechanism of action of probiotics and summarizes the potential role of different probiotics supplementation for enhancing the production and shielding the health and immunity of poultry flocks. Conclusions Probiotics has got a beneficial impact on the health and immunity of poultry, showing their competence as an alternative to commercial antibiotics. Modern experimental techniques are required to shed more light on the capabilities of probiotics and their usage for animal health.