Welcome to Chinese Agricultural Science Bulletin,

Chinese Agricultural Science Bulletin ›› 2014, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (35): 97-106.doi: 10.11924/j.issn.1000-6850.2014-1628

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Advances of Antibiotic Alternatives

  

  • Received:2014-06-09 Revised:2014-12-03 Accepted:2014-08-18 Online:2015-03-18 Published:2015-03-18

Abstract: The persistence and spread of antibiotic resistance caused by the abuse of growth- promoting antibiotics, in conjunction with the bottleneck of development of new antibiotics, have created the dangerous prospect of ineffective therapies against bacterial diseases. In this situation, national strategies aimed at discovery and developments of effective antibiotic alternatives, especially for agricultural applications, had been encouraged. This article overviewed eight kinds of antibiotic alternatives, including antibacterial vaccines, immunomodulatory agents, bacteriophages and their lysins, antimicrobial peptides, pro-, pre- and synbiotics, plant extracts, inhibitors targeting pathogenicity and feed enzymes. The progress of research and development, problems and prospects of antibiotic alternatives were fully discussed. Because of their limitations, veterinary antibiotic alternatives so far can not substitute for antibiotics. Only to establish a scientific monitoring system and continue to develop improved antibiotic alternatives can we reduce the negative effects of antibiotic abuse, ensure the safety of animal- derived food, thus achieve the green and healthy development of animal husbandry.