Antibiotics and gut function: historical and current perspectives

Description

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.

Table of contents

1 Introduction 2 Historical perspectives on antibiotics in poultry production 3 Future perspectives on antibiotics in poultry production 4 Conclusion 5 Where to look for further information 6 References