Advances in Synbiotic Therapy in the Management of Gastrointestinal Diseases (Enteric Diseases) in Farm Animals

Abstract

Background: There are various emerging scientific evidences based on research trials and therapeutic practices that ‘Synbiotics’ (probiotics and prebiotics) play an important role in animal
health and nutrition. There has been a significant increase in the characterization and verification of potential health benefits associated with the use of probiotics and prebiotics.
Objective: The primary clinical effects for the application of probiotics have been reported as
the ability to modulate the balance and activities of the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota, treatment of infectious diseases including viral, bacterial and antibiotic associated diarrhea, cellular
immune-modulation, lowering of serum cholesterol, improvement in lactose digestion, alleviation of allergy related disorders, reducing the risk of colon cancer and imparting the colonization resistance effect on intestinal microbiota.
Results: The probiotic therapy also known as the microbial interference therapy (MIT) has
in particular drawn the interest of animal clinicians, in the treatment of enteric infections of
neonatal farm and food animals eliminating the entero-pathogens selectively while building up
the normal intestinal flora to flourish. This cannot be achieved by the use of gut-active antibiotics, which lack the ability to discriminate between its friends and foes. The probiotic therapy
in food animals has embarked upon establishing a new non-antibiotic arena in the treatment of
their several infections, which ultimately not only eliminates the possibility of development of
drug resistance but also render the food animals and their produce free from xenobiotic residual
effects, which enter the human food chain.
Conclusion: In this review, the current knowledge on the contribution of the gut microbiota to
the host well-being has been discussed. Moreover, the available information on probiotics and
prebiotics and their application in animal health, production and nutrition has been reviewed.