Because of the growing concern over the transmission and proliferation of resistant bacteria via
the food chain, the European Union (EU) in 2006 banned antibiotic growth promoters to be used
as additives in animal nutrition. So there aroused the need for alternative strategies to minimize
the risk of spreading antibiotic resistance from animals to humans via food chain. The alternative
which has showed some potential in this regard are organic acids. Organic acids and their salts
are generally regarded as safe (GRAS) and have been approved by most member states of the EU
to be used as feed additives in animal production. Organic acids have growth promoting
properties and can be used as alternatives to antibiotics (Patten and Waldroup 1988). The
addition of organic acids to the broiler diet reduces the production of toxic components by
bacteria and the colonization of pathogens in the GIT (Langhout 2000; Denli et al 2003).
Adil et al.
Livestock Research for Rural Development 23 (1): 1-8, 2011
Organic acids may affect the integrity of microbial cell membrane or cell macromolecules or
interfere with nutrient transport and energy metabolism causing bactericidal effect (Ricke 2003).
Following organic acid feeding, reduction in gastric pH occurs which may increase the pepsin
activity (Kirchgessner and Roth 1982) and the peptides arising from pepsin proteolysis trigger
the release of hormones, including gastrin and cholecystokinin, which regulate the digestion and
absorption of protein (Hersey 1987). Organic acid supplementation have been reported to
decrease colonization of pathogens and production of toxic metabolites, improve digestibility of
protein and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc and also serve as substrates
in the intermediary metabolism (Kirchgessner and Roth 1988). The present study was carried on
with the objectives to determine the effect of organic acid supplementation on the growth
performance and intestinal microflora of broiler chicken.