Antimicrobial peptides as a feed additive alternative to animal production, food safety and public health implications: An overview

In the last few years, feed additives have been used in animal nutrition to improve nutrient utilization, health parameters and animal performance. However, the use of antibiotics as feed additives has allowed the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which can bring as a consequence, an increase in the morbidity and mortality of diseases that were previously treatable with antibiotics. In this context, antimicrobial peptides (AMP) have appeared as a promising strategy because they have multiple biological activities and represent a powerful strategy to prevent the development of resistant microorganisms. Despite the small number of studies applied in vivo, AMP appear as a potent alternative to the use of antibiotics in animal nutrition, due to an increase in feed efficiency and the prevention/treatment of some animal diseases. This review discusses the problems associated with antimicrobial resistance and the use of AMP as a strong candidate to replace conventional antibiotics, mainly in the animal industry. (C) 2021 Chinese Association of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co. Ltd.

Automated summary

Feed additives have been beneficial in animal nutrition, but the use of antibiotics has led to antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial peptides are a promising alternative to prevent the development of resistant microorganisms and improve feed efficiency in animal nutrition.