Research progress of tannins and poultry intestinal health

1. In recent years, tannin has been used as a natural alternative to antibiotics due to its wide availability, ease of large-scale production and efficient extraction from other plants, compared with foreign additives such as plant essential oils and organic acids.2. Tannins are secondary metabolites widely existing in plants as a natural defence mechanism, which exhibit various bioactivities. In poultry, appropriate addition of tannins can enhance the growth performance and play a positive regulatory role in intestinal health, but inclusion in diets is limited by the bitter taste of tannins. However, 1 g/kg tannin in feed significantly reduced the final body weight of broilers and disrupted normal morphology in the intestinal tract.3. Data indicated that the effect of tannin was significantly influenced by its source and dosage, but these differences need to be confirmed. However, there is data showing tannin regulation of intestinal health in poultry, providing practical ideas on mechanism of action and commercial applications.