The Potential of Tropical Agro-Industrial by-Products as a Functional Feed for Poultry

Following the ban of synthetic antibiotics as antimicrobial agents and growth promoters, poultry nutritionists are now trying to find antibiotic substitutes. Agro-industrial by-products are abundant in tropical countries and have been used as the alternatives to conventional feedstuffs in poultry rations. These by-products are also known to contain several bioactive compounds such as oligosaccharides, phenolic compounds, certain fatty acids, vitamins, etc. The compounds may serve as antimicrobial agents, antioxidants and immune-modulators for poultry. Owing to this, agro-industrial by-products have a potential to become functional feeds that can promote the health and well-being of poultry. The potentials of some tropical agro-industrial by-products (e.g., palm kernel meal, rice bran, cassava meal, copra meal, banana peel meal, orange peels and pulp) and their derivative products as functional feeds for poultry are elaborated in the present review, and the possible mechanisms through which agro-industrial by-products may improve the health status of poultry will also be discussed. Future studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of agro-industrial residues and their derivative products in substituting the use of synthetic antibiotics in poultry rations.