Phytochemical feed additives
The action mechanisms underlying the use of phytochemical feed additives as animal growth promoters have not been completely elucidated yet, even though these chemicals have been used for a long time as medicines, flavors and food preservatives [18]. Based on the different biological activities of phytochemicals, four principal mechanisms have been proposed that support the physiological changes observed in the studied animals and explain the effects on growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality:
1) Improver of food status and animal feed intake;
2) Modulator of ruminal fermentation;
3) Improver of nutrient digestion and absorption; and
4) Source of direct and indirect anabolic activity on target tissues.
The proposed mechanism of action for a particular phytochemical feed additive depends largely on its structure, dosage, and pharmacokinetics, as well as the animal species, productive stage and administration period. On the other hand, the observed growth promoting effect may be due to several mechanisms, as a result of the various biological activities of the phytochemicals. However, information on what determines various mechanisms within the same experiment has not been reported; this may be due to a lack of studies on the mechanisms of a specific phytochemical in a given species.
comment:
Floral chemicals serve as attractants to pollinators, helping them to find food sources. Additionally, the rate of consumption of attractive food is higher, and as they suggest above, the chemicals could serve to improve digestion and absorption. Whatever the function of floral chemicals in the plants themselves, they cannot be easily classed as toxic or non-toxic. As we have emphasized in the past, toxicity is dependent on dosage, not the chemical alone.
PLB
source of above:
Rostagno, M. H. (2022). Managing Intestinal Health in Farm Animals: A Critical View. Gut Microbiota, Immunity, and Health in Production Animals, 1-12.
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