Feed Additives and Future Perspectives

From a strategic perspective, food security is one of the most important pillars of national security for human societies. Introduction of effective new feed additives in livestock and poultry nutrition can be a key to sustainable food security by increasing animal performance and improving animal health. Continuous research in this area is necessary because certain feed additives can also combat pathogens and ameliorate the use of antibiotics. Future studies on feed additives should be aimed at determining their optimal levels to maximize the goals of improved production efficiency and conversion ratio and consequently the quality and quantity of livestock products. By improving bioavailability, digestibility, and effectiveness of additives, we will be able to use them more accurately in animal diets without any worry about their side effects. Synthetic additives with new formulations along with bioactive compounds derived from plants can help attain this goal. Some of the known compounds include phenolic compounds, essential oils, terpenoids, phytosterols, polycosanols, and tocopherols, which can improve feed conversion ratio and production performance just like synthetic additives. The use of these compounds can also lead to the production of highquality organic products. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of action of bioactive compounds in the body physiology and biochemical status of domestic animals can be one of the goals of future studies. In this chapter, we provide information on the selection of additives by presenting the latest studies on the use of well-known and lesser-known additives as well as the simultaneous use of several additives in animal nutrition by discussing their mechanisms of action and beneficial physiological and biochemical effects. We also list a series of new plant supplements containing valuable bioactive compounds to encourage researchers to study the use of these new plants in various forms in livestock and poultry nutrition.