The efficient conversion of feed into its basic components for optimal nutrient absorption is vital for both broiler and broiler breeder production and welfare. Gut health, an intricate and complex area combining nutrition, microbiology, immunology, and physiology, has a key role to play. When gut health is compromised, digestion and nutrient absorption are affected which, in turn, can have a detrimental effect on feed conversion leading to economic loss and greater susceptibility to disease.

Soybean meal is the most widely used major protein source in poultry production across the world. However, SBM contains various anti-nutritional factors that may affect intestinal homeostasis and impair nutrient utilization in poultry. One of the main anti-nutritional factors is Trypsin Inhibitor. Dr. Koushik De, technical service director - South Central Asia, explains how to deal with trypsin inhibitor in soybean meal in this interview with Engormix.

Trypsin inhibitor: Why should we care about it? Dr. Koushik De, technical service director - South Central Asia, explains why in his recent interview with Engormix.

As global animal production has rapidly shifted towards reduced Antibiotic-free, “gut health” has become a popular expression and all-encompassing concept in the scientific community. The gastrointestinal tract must provide a barrier function protecting against harmful environmental elements (e.g. toxins and pathogenic microbes), while simultaneously permitting appropriate nutrient absorption. Successful animal performance depends on the interplay between the intestine, microbiota, diet, and a multitude of environmental factors.

A healthy chicken gut is essential for optimum digestibility, maximum nutrient absorption, immunity development, and disease resistance. For the last few decades in poultry production, antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) have been widely used in poultry diets to promote growth, improve feed efficiency and control dysbacteriosis and enteric diseases. However, antibiotic-free poultry production is a common trend worldwide recently because the use of antibiotics has been banned by governments in many countries and due to increasing concerns about antibiotic resistance.