2010 Informal Nutrition Symposium Remodeling the intestinal ecosystem toward better performance and intestinal health

SUMMARY the intestinal microbiota are composed of a large diversity of microorganisms. some have been cultured and characterized, but most remain uncultivated and thus uncharacterized. the intestinal microbiota play a significant role in host health, nutrition, physiology, and performance. In recent studies, researchers have focused on the complex mechanisms involved in host-microbiota symbiosis. Host physiological homeostasis contributes to the stability and composition of the microbiota. Very little is known about microbial competition or metabolism within the intestinal environment, and even less is known about how microbial interactions influence intestinal health and pathogen exclusion. Here we explore factors such as the challenges of studying the intestinal microbiota, how the composition of the microbiota is affected by intestinal substrates and the host corporeal composition, and whether it is possible to explain the effects of the intestinal microbiota modified by growth promoters. Finally, we discuss the desirable effects of growth promoters on the microbiota with regard to intestinal health and pathogen exclusion. Understanding how feed additives affect the intestinal community and the gut environment is the first step in designing strategies to manipulate performance and gut health.