Functional Nutritional Strategies as Alternatives to Antimicrobials

This comprehensive research collection highlights how functional nutritional strategies can serve as effective, sustainable alternatives to antibiotics in both livestock and companion animals. Within the One Health context of combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), nineteen studies demonstrate how targeted dietary interventions—such as probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, essential oils, plant-derived polyphenols, and natural bioactive compounds—can strengthen immunity, enhance gut health, reduce oxidative stress, and improve animal growth and resilience. In pigs, various supplements including microencapsulated essential oils, probiotic formulations, and maternal nutritional interventions improved gut morphology, immune responses, and overall performance. Similar benefits were seen in poultry, where synbiotic-enzyme complexes and antimicrobial peptides boosted growth and immune function, and in ruminants, where yeast and medium-chain fatty acids improved feed efficiency and silage quality. Studies in aquaculture and companion animals further demonstrated how balanced, functional nutrition can optimize gut microbiota and metabolic health. Collectively, these findings underscore that enhancing animal health through precision nutrition not only reduces the need for antibiotics but also mitigates the spread of AMR across animal, human, and environmental ecosystems—affirming nutrition’s pivotal role in sustainable One Health strategies.