György Csikó, Orsolya Palócz

The aim of our study is to decrease the antibiotic usage or at least keep it to a minimum by explore active agents with infection preventing capacity.

There is increasing need for alternatives to antibiotics since the use of antibiotics as growth promoters have been banned and as preventive agents have been limited. The alternative agents should have health protective and growth promoting activity.

During our investigations, safe agents; immune stimulators and health promoters will be tested. These are; beta-glucan, which is stimulating both the acquired and natural immune system, probiotic substances, which have immune system stimulating and digestive and gut microbiota balance preventing effect, humic acids which are digestives and antibacterial agents, and herbal extracts which have antibacterial effect.

The test substances will be applied in different concentrations to infected and not infected rabbits and chickens. The treated animals will be continuously follow up; weight measuring, clinical examination, feed intake, blood tests, determination of coliform: lactobacillus ratio from faeces. Histopathological examination will be performed in the animals in the infectious model.