Nutrition plays a pivotal role in maintaining the health of pullets, quality egg production by laying hens and body growth of broilers. Nutraceuticals are the nutrients or constituents of animal diet that have nutritional and pharmaceutical importance by preventing various diseases, possessing immunomodulatory potential, providing health benefits and consequently increasing productivity. Nutraceuticals have been in focus in poultry science quite recently due to the nutritional and healthier properties of feed ingredients.
Nutraceuticals are categorized as commercial additives obtained from natural products as an alternative feed supplement for the improvement of animal welfare. The involvement of nutraceuticals in improving intestinal morphology and nutrient absorption may also encourage the nutritionists to include these compounds in the diet to promote the growth performance of birds.
