Fitobióticos na produção animal: Libidibia férrea como estratégia para saúde e desempenho de aves

Abstract

Poultry production plays a key role in global food security, providing sufficient meat and eggs for millions of people. However, this sector faces serious challenges, such as bacterial infections and oxidative stress, which compromise production performance and product quality. Traditionally, synthetic antibiotics and antioxidants have been used to mitigate these problems, but concerns about antimicrobial resistance and chemical residues have driven the search for natural alternatives. In this context, Libidibia ferrea (Mart. ex Tul), known as jucá or pau-ferro, presents itself as a promising alternative due to its antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This plant, native to South America and widely used in traditional medicine, contains bioactives such as flavonoids, tannins and phenolic acids, which demonstrate potential to improve the health and performance of birds. The studies carried out aimed to explore the potential of L. ferrea in poultry farming, from the characterization of its extracts to their application in innovative biomaterials. Three main extracts were produced: hydroalcoholic extract of the pod (EHMV) and ethanolic extracts of the shell (EEMC) and pod (EEMV), which were analyzed by advanced techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) and atomic analysis spectroscopy (AAS). The results revealed the presence of compounds with high antimicrobial activity against Salmonella spp. and avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC), in addition to a significant antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, in vitro assays demonstrated that L. ferrea extracts presented a strong capacity to neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS), contributing to cellular protection against oxidative stress. In vivo studies conducted with chicken embryos confirmed the safety of the extracts and their ability to reduce mortality caused by infection with S. Pullorum. In order to enhance the efficacy of these extracts, a bioactive hydrogel based on guar gum was developed, formulated to improve the stability and controlled release of bioactive compounds. Microbiological tests demonstrated that this hydrogel increased the antimicrobial activity of the extracts, while in vivo tests conducted with chicks subjected to heat and water stress revealed that treatment with the hydrogel resulted in improved zootechnical performance, reduced lipid peroxidation and increased activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). The results obtained indicate that L. ferrea extracts, especially in hydrogel form, represent a promising alternative to reduce the use of antibiotics in poultry farming, improving bird health in a sustainable manner. However, further studies are needed to validate its application under commercial conditions and assess its economic prospects. In this way, this work contributes significantly to the advancement of knowledge on the use of natural products in animal production, opening new perspectives for the sustainability and efficiency of the poultry industry.