Gut Health: The Foundation of Resilience in Food Producing Animals

Abstract

Optimal gut health is of vital importance to the performance of animals. Gut is responsible for regulating physiological homeostasis that provides the host the ability to with stand infectious and non-infectious stressors. The gut microbiota confers health benefits to the host, including aiding in the digestion and absorption of nutrients, contributing to the construction of the intestinal epithelial barrier, development and function of the host immune system and competing with pathogenic microbes to prevent their harmful propagation. Modulating gut health in animals involves manipulating the gut microbiome to improve overall animal health and productivity. This can be achieved through various strategies like dietary adjustments, prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics and even faecal microbiota transplantation. These methods aim to shift the balance of gut microbes toward a more beneficial composition, thereby enhancing nutrient utilization, boosting immunity and reducing the risk of disease.