Plant Feed Additives as Natural Alternatives to the Use of Synthetic Antioxidant Vitamins on Yield, Quality, and Oxidative Status of Poultry Products: A Review of the Literature of the Last 20 Years

Pitino, R. and De Marchi, M. and Manuelian, C. L. and Johnson, M. and Simoni, M. and Righi, F. and Tsiplakou, E.

Antioxidants (Basel) (2021) 10:

DOI: 10.3390/antiox10050757

Abstract

Scientific evidence demonstrates that plant feed additives (PFA) can be a viable alternative to synthetic antioxidant vitamins in poultry nutrition. PFA are represented by plants, essential oils, plant extracts, and by-products from herbal or crop processing. The use of PFA in the feed industry has increased in recent years as their biologically active compounds (polyphenols) have demonstrated antimicrobial and antioxidant effects in food-producing animals. However, few trials have directly compared the effects of PFA with synthetic vitamins. After a systematic literature review of studies comparing the effects of PFA and synthetic vitamins on poultry products in the last 20 years (2000-2020), a total of 44 peer-reviewed articles were included in the present work. A positive effect of PFA on poultry products’ oxidative stability during storage, organoleptic characteristics, and fatty acids profile has been observed without a specific impact on their performances. The effects of PFA are variable but often similar to those of vitamin E, suggesting the opportunity for a partial substitution of the latter in poultry diets.

Citation

Pitino, R., De Marchi, M., Manuelian, C. L., Johnson, M., Simoni, M., Righi, F., & Tsiplakou, E. (2021). Plant Feed Additives as Natural Alternatives to the Use of Synthetic Antioxidant Vitamins on Yield, Quality, and Oxidative Status of Poultry Products: A Review of the Literature of the Last 20 Years. Antioxidants (Basel), 10(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10050757 poultry, plant extracts, tocopherols, antioxidant vitamins, organic, tocopheryl

Keywords

• poultry
• plant extracts
• tocopherols
• antioxidant vitamins
• organic
• tocopheryl