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Introduction
Supplementation of poultry diet with antibiotics at sub-therapeutic amounts as antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs) was found to be useful for improving growth and reducing the incidence of pathogens, e.g. E. coli, Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) and Salmonella (Hume, 2011). Antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs) have been regularly supplemented in poultry feeds (Butaye et al., 2003). However, lately concern has been raised about the risks surrounding the development of antibioticresistant pathogens, which might lead to wide multiplication and distribution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Resistant pathogen transfer from animals to humans is probable and could pose a possible health risk (Tollefson et al., 1998). Due to the fact that most of the antimicrobial chemicals given to animals are of the same class as those used to treat human diseases, the European Union banned antibiotic use for growth production in 2006. There are concerns that many antibiotics now used for human treatment will no longer be effective in the future (Smith et al., 2003; Castanon, 2007).
Current developments in poultry nutrition focus on total or partial substitution of non-antibiotic supplements that have similar...