Abstract

Poultry production is presently the most effective animal production industry and provides an excellent source of protein production worldwide. The poultry gastrointestinal microbiota includes commensal, mutualistic and pathogenic microbes. The relationship between host and gut microbiota can affect the balance of mutualism and pathogenicity. The imbalanced gut microflora caused by the incidence of disease, hygiene conditions, diet, management practices, and environmental stress affects the survival and productivity of chicken. Maintenance of the gut microbial composition is possible through the regulation of the gastrointestinal microbiota by suppressing the growth of pathogens. For many years, antibiotic growth promoters have been used to manage these problems. Nowadays, because of the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, other alternatives are being sought. Supplementation of probiotics as feed additives is considered to enhance chicken productivitity and to protect the gut from pathogen colonization and help to tolerate environmental stress. The goal of the present article was to review the poultry gastrointestinal microflora and probiotics role in the health and growth of poultry. In addition, this article focused on probiotic microorganisms and their potential characteristics.