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Despite rising demand for chicken, laws and public uproar forced the industry to find alternatives to maintain flock health by outlawing antibiotic growth boosters. Incorporating a program that naturally improves or modi- fies the bird's immune response is one strategy. A tailored dietary supplement and/or feed additive can be used to modify immune function and achieve immunomodulation of the immune system. The best alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) may be the use of probiotics and organic acids. Probiotics provide advantages such as altering the host's metabolism, stimulating the immune system, excluding pathogens, enhancing nutrient absorption, and ultimately lowering the danger to human health. Nucleotide supplementation in the feed may enhance gut shape, digestive enzyme activity, and growth performance in broilers. In the current review, we threw light on the use of butyric acid as ecofriendly animal feed additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Butyric acid and its derivatives support the immune system, lessen inflammation, and lessen oxidative stress in broilers in addition to preserving gut homeostasis and epithelial integrity. Broiler performance has also been demonstrated to rise with the addition of nucleotides to the diet. Aim: The purpose of the study was to ascertain the effects of butyric acid and nucleotides added to feed on the overall performance, immunity, oxidant/antioxidant enzyme levels, intestinal histology, and hepatic functions of broilers. Methods: Four experimental groups of thirty chickens, each were used in the present study. The groups were assigned as a control group that received normal diet without additives, butyrate (B) group received the diet supplemented with butyric acid (250 g/ton feed), nucleotides (N) group received the diet supplemented with nucleotides (200 g/ton feed), and the fourth group received the diet supplemented with a combination of butyrate and nucleotide (BN) (250 g/ton B feed, and 200 g/ton N feed, respectively). Necrotic enteritis was produced in ten birds from each group to assess the immune-modulatory effect of these supplements, antioxidant status, intestinal histology, and liver functions were measured in all experimental groups. Results: The addition of butyric acid and nucleotides to feed enhanced body weight, growth performance, hepatic functions, and antioxidant capabilities. Histological sections of the gut from challenged or unchallenged (with necrotic enteritis) groups in the BN group showed considerable improvement, as shown by strong proliferation in intestinal crypts and villus enterocytes. Conclusion: Nucleotides and butyric acid can be added to broiler feeding regimens to enhance growth and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]