A Feed-Forward Approach of New Knowledge Arising from Human Nutritional Studies in Susceptible Groups to Application in Animal Nutrition

The use of subtherapeutic doses of antibiotics in animal feed is now increasingly banned, mainly because of concerns about antibiotic resistance. This results in more diarrhea, is of the treated with therapeutic doses of antibiotics, while it can also be prevented and treated by lowering the protein content of feed. This is, however, economically disadvantageous, because it results in lower growth and gain in muscle mass. Young animals may be particularly susceptible, because their immune system, gut and renal function are still immature and relatively impaired compared to the adult situation. In human pathology, renal transplantation provides an interesting model, with immunosuppressive drugs impairing the immune system and gut health, while renal function is impaired because the single kidney that is transplanted usually does not achieve the function of two normal kidneys. These patients very often suffer from diarrhea, malnutrition and sarcopenia. We intend to disrupt thinking by using this patient group as an interesting human model for an important problem in animal nutrition. We will use the results of these observational studies as input for the design and performance of animal experimental studies and in vitro studies that have the prospect of making addition of antibiotics to animal feed and therapeutic use of antibiotics for treatment of diarrhea undesirable and even uneconomical for achievement of optimal growth