Efstratia Papanikou

Phytogenics are a family of additives with some considerable history. In fact, phytogenics have been around for a couple of decades under various names: essential oils, plant extracts, botanicals and now, phytogenics.

We are used to considering fiber in terms of crude fiber or other similar quantitative terms, but modern nutritional thinking wants to separate fiber into its functional properties, namely solubility and fermentability.

Phenolic compounds have attracted a great deal of research interest in human nutrition and medicine during the last decade. Nevertheless, animal nutrition still lagged behind in recognizing phenolics as an interesting field of potential feed additives.

Fiber technology is emerging as the new frontier in monogastric animal nutrition, but due to the diverse nature of fibers, there is an increased need to understand their technical aspects before using them in animal feeds.