Possibility of Using Bee Bread (Perga) as an Alternative Feed Additive in Poultry Nutrition

Abstract

Livestock industry has an indispensable position in providing a source of protein for humans. It is vital for the future of humanity to produce healthy animal products for the needs of the increasing world population and to offer them for consumption day by day. However, so as to meet the request of animal products rapidly, industrialization has been increased by developing mass production methods, these changes in the sector have worried by some consumers and reservations have even increased with disinformation. Depending on this possible food safety and public health concern, people have become conscious of nutrition with natural products in progress of time and new searches have been embarked. On the other hand, due to the prohibition of the inclusion of antibiotics as feed additives in animal nutrition diets, alternative feed additives to antibiotics have been researched in order to increase performance and eliminate diseases. The fact that the quality and health of products such as meat, milk, eggs obtained from livestock are directly related to nutrition provides a better understanding of the value of feed and feed additives. Indeed, it is seen that the popularity of honey bee product bee bread, which has been known to be used as a curative product since ancient times, has increased in recent years in treatment with bee products called apitherapy. Concordantly, the use of bee bread as an alternative feed additive in animal health and nutrition has become increasingly common in recent years. In this review, it is aimed to give information about the possibility of using bee bread (perga), which has been shown by scientific studies to be natural and rich ingredient, as an alternative feed additive in poultry nutrition.