Abstract
•Application of antibiotics in animal diets restricted due to antimicrobial resistance.•Researchers are encouraged to find alternate products such as phytogenic.•Gum Arabic has a role in overall health, intestinal immunity, and liver metabolism.•The present review summarizes the chemical composition of gum Arabic.•Evaluates effects and action mechanism of gum Arabic on the health and performance in animals.
Gum Arabic (GA) is a natural product that consists of a solid juice derived from the exudates of acacia species. It contains a non-viscous soluble fiber of a high-molecular-weight complex of glycoproteins and polysaccharides, including arabinose, galactose, rhamnose, an organic acid, amino acids, and some minerals. GA is used as a natural prebiotic, due to its resistance to digestion. GA is fermented by the anaerobic microbiota to short-chain fatty acids (SCFs) that have an important role in maintaining homeostasis, structure, and function in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) also controlled the whole luminal microbial ecology and inhibition of pathogenic where cecum harbor the most microbiota in the GIT and the fermentation is mainly done at this part. GA is a natural supplement that plays an important role in intestinal and liver metabolism and has other potential health benefits. This review evaluates the effects and action mechanisms of GA as a natural prebiotic on overall health and growth performance in livestock and poultry.