Antibiotics and gut function: historical and current perspectives

Publication date: 25/11/2019
Extent: 16 pages

Contributions by: Jeferson M. Lourenço, Darren S. Seidel and Todd R. Callaway, University of Georgia, USA

Chapter synopsis: Antibiotics play a central role in human health, and the sensitivity of bacteria to these compounds is a natural resource that must be husbanded to keep from losing their effectiveness from increasing antibiotic resistance in the environment. This chapter places the use of antibiotics in poultry production in its historical context to understand the benefits that antibiotics have conferred on animal production to date. The chapter considers past, present and future use of antibiotics, focusing on the use of bacteriocins and phytochemicals.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2019.0059.10