Seaweeds for animal feed, current status, challenges, and opportunities

Abstract

Nowadays, livestock farmers are looking for solutions that will improve animal growth and performance, as well as the quality of animal-derived products. One of them is the use of feed additives that typically include antibiotics, antioxidants, acidifiers, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, binders, enzymes. The application of seaweeds as novel and safe feed additives may be an innovative and eco-friendly approach to provide animals with high nutritive value, promote their health and productivity, and obtain high-quality animal products. Seaweeds, which include green (Chlorophyceae), red (Rhodophyceae), and brown algae (Phaeophyceae) can serve as a rich source of biologically active compounds such as polysaccharides, proteins, and essential amino acids, minerals, lipids including polyunsaturated fatty acids, numerous antioxidants (e.g. polyphenols), vitamins, pigments, such as chlorophylls, carotenoids, etc. Due to their beneficial properties, such as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, etc., seaweeds can not only enhance animal production but also their health. In the present chapter, we focus on seaweeds that have potential to be used as common feed additives, on the current situation concerning the application of seaweeds in livestock feeding - their effect on animal health, growth, productive performance and quality of food, challenges (e.g. algae availability, variable chemical composition, toxic metal content, appropriate algae inclusion levels in the diet, forms of seaweeds in the diet, seaweeds digestibility) and possible solutions.