Ammonia-Induced Physiological Responses in Poultry Systems
Summary
Ammonia, a ubiquitous by-product of nitrogenous waste in confined poultry housing, exerts multifaceted effects on bird physiology. Elevated atmospheric ammonia compromises respiratory function by damaging mucosal surfaces, impairs gut integrity through induction of oxidative stress, and dysregulates immune competence at both cellular and molecular levels. Chronic exposure leads to reductions in growth performance, feed efficiency and meat quality, while provoking inflammatory cascades and perturbing the balance of beneficial microbial communities in the respiratory tract. Underpinning these outcomes are alterations in gene expression, protein abundance and signalling pathways related to apoptosis, cytokine activity and barrier function. Understanding these mechanisms is critical for optimising ventilation, husbandry practices and dietary interventions to safeguard animal welfare and productivity on a global scale.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Ammonia-Induced Physiological Responses in Poultry Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in ammonia-induced physiological responses in poultry systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Oxidative stress: An imbalance between reactive oxygen species production and antioxidant defences leading to cellular damage.
Proteomics: The large-scale study of proteins, their structures and functions, often using mass spectrometry.
Cytokines: Small signalling proteins released by immune cells that modulate inflammation and intercellular communication.
Microbiota: The community of microorganisms inhabiting a particular environment, such as the respiratory or gastrointestinal tract.
References
- Proteome changes in the small intestinal mucosa of broilers (Gallus gallus) induced by high concentrations of atmospheric ammonia. Proteome Science (2015).
- Differential expression analysis of the broiler tracheal proteins responsible for the immune response and muscle contraction induced by high concentration of ammonia using iTRAQ-coupled 2D LC-MS/MS. Science China Life Sciences (2016).
- Effects of Different Ammonia Concentrations on Pulmonary Microbial Flora, Lung Tissue Mucosal Morphology, Inflammatory Cytokines, and Neurotransmitters of Broilers. Animals (2022).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.