With the reduced availability of antibiotics, poultry producers are looking for feed additives to stimulate the immune system of their birds. Some beta-glucans have been shown to improve gut health in poultry subjected to a bacterial challenge, to increase the flow of new immunocytes into the various lymphoid organs, to increase macrophage function, to increase antibody titers after a vaccination and to function as an anti-inflammatory immunomodulator. As a result, beta-glucans may provide a tool for producers trying to reduce or eliminate the use of antibiotics in poultry diets.
CITATION STYLE
Jacob, J., & Pescatore, A. (2017). Glucans and the Poultry Immune System. American Journal of Immunology, 13(1), 45–49. https://doi.org/10.3844/ajisp.2017.45.49
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