Stimbiotic Concept Development: The Optimisation Use of Dietary Fibre in Monogastric Animals

Consumption of dietary fibre can have detrimental or beneficial effects depending on the origin, composition and concentration, and the physico-chemical characteristics of the fibre sources. For decades, dietary fibre was considered an antinutrient and strategies to mitigate excess soluble and total dietary fibre were developed. However, recent scientific evidence indicates there are multiple benefits of dietary fibre consumption, including fibre as an energy source and modulator of the gut microbiome. The aim of this summary is to define dietary fibre and describe its physico-chemical properties. The latter will have implications for the intestinal microbiota and subsequent gut function and health. This summary reviews the initial stages of the stimbiotic concept and its evolution since its introduction, as well as some of its observed benefits in poultry and swine. This novel concept has revealed genuine progress in the recognition of new additives developed specifically to improve the utilisation of dietary fibre.