Nutritional Immunology in Poultry Production
Summary
Nutritional immunology in poultry integrates dietary strategies with immune competence to enhance bird health, productivity and food safety. Diet composition not only fulfils energy and growth requirements but also shapes the development and responsiveness of the avian immune system. Macronutrients such as proteins and lipids provide building blocks for immune cells, while micronutrients including vitamins A, D and E, trace minerals like zinc and selenium, and key amino acids such as glutamine and arginine act as cofactors for antibody synthesis, antioxidant defences and barrier integrity. Beyond classical nutrients, functional feed additives—prebiotics, probiotics, phytogenics and immunomodulatory polysaccharides—promote balanced gut microbiota, reinforce mucosal barriers and modulate cytokine profiles to prevent or mitigate enteric and systemic infections. With increasing restrictions on antibiotic growth promoters and mounting pressure to reduce drug residues, nutritional immunology offers sustainable alternatives to support flock resilience, optimise vaccination outcomes and reduce foodborne pathogen carriage. Emphasis on early-life nutrition, precision feeding and tailored supplementation underpins global efforts to safeguard poultry health, secure production efficiency and deliver safe protein to consumers.
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Nutritional Immunology in Poultry Production publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in nutritional immunology in poultry production across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Nutritional immunology: The study of how dietary components influence immune system development and function in poultry.
β-Glucan: A polysaccharide derived from yeast or fungi that modulates immune responses and gut health.
Prebiotic: A non-digestible feed ingredient that selectively stimulates growth or activity of beneficial gut microbes.
Cytokine: A signalling protein released by immune cells that regulates inflammation and immune responses.
Tight junction: A complex of proteins forming barriers between intestinal cells to control gut permeability.
References
- Potential of Spirulina platensis as a feed supplement for poultry to enhance growth performance and immune modulation. Frontiers in Immunology (2023).
- Effects of dietary β-glucan and rice fermented on growth performance, fatty acids, and Newcastle disease immune response in turkey broilers. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences (2023).
- Review: β-glucans as Effective Antibiotic Alternatives in Poultry. Molecules (2021).
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