Antimicrobial drugs play an important role in the treatment of diseases in human and animals. Misusing antimicrobial drugs will increase the potential risk of spreading antimicrobial resistance and vital medicines will fail when bacteria become resistant to them (FAO, 2018). To combat microbial resistance many studies have been investigating alternative environmental friendly antimicrobial agents from various sources.
Essential oils (Eos) and less antibiotics:
Essential Oils (EOs) are concentrated natural products with a strong smell which are produced by aromatic plants (different part of herbs) as secondary metabolites. They enhance production of digestive secretions, stimulate blood circulation, exert antioxidant properties, reduce levels of pathogenic bacteria and may enhance immune status (Brenes and Roura, 2010). They have a small proportion of a wet weight of plant material and extracting methods would cause different activities of different EOs (Bouhaddouda et al., 2016). EOs activities as alternatives to antibiotics have been investigated and various researchers have studied on different essential oils as alternatives to antibiotics. They have been playing a very important role to cope antibiotic resistant threat. EOs have different compounds varied in their exact chemical composition and concentration due to factors such as seasonal variation, climate, and oil-extraction method (Santoyo et al., 2006). Mathlouthi N, et al., 2012 found that rosemary and oregano oil resulted in the same amount of growth in chickens as the antibiotic avilamycin, and the oils killed bacteria too. EOs could also reduce salmonella in chickens (Cerisuelo A, et al., 2014).
First Ambassador for lessantibiotics.com NAGP approach
What is Antimicrobial resistance and how does it spread?
Around the world, the support of a Non-Antibiotic Growth Promotion approach is growing therefore, NAGP Ambassadors will start to share their experiences and know-how to support farmers through a responsible transition. First Ambassador for lessantibiotics.com NAGP approach is Dr. Ali Zeinali, a Poultry specialist from Iran with many years of experience, who in this article describes his understanding of antibiotic reduction explaining antimicrobial resistance.
“In the following and in subsequent articles, I will talk about antibiotic alternatives and XVET products that have been a great way to remove the Antibiotic Growth Promotors and reduce the antibiotics for treatments.
Below is the introduction for reduction Antibiotic consumption (lessantibiotics) in the poultry industry.