Phytochemicals in animal nutrition – their potential as functional feed

Phytochemicals are highly versatile in plants. They are also termed secondary plants compounds, a terminology that might be outdated taking into account the primary role metabolites for plant physiology, reproduction, and protection. From the perspective of ecological mutuality between plants and animals, these compounds are of crucial importance because they not only protect but also serve as visual attraction for animals, especially herbivores, signaling nutritional and/or health-promoting values. In animal nutrition, the phytochemicals are commonly considered as phytogenic feed additives without essential nutritional value as are the primary nutritive ingredients. However, the perception of the diet has changed during the last years both in animal and human nutrition. One now expects that the diet delivers both nutritive and health-promoting values. The knowledge of the last years suggests essential nutritive and health-promoting properties of many phytochemicals, making them good functional feed candidates. Inclusion of such functional feed ingredients in the animal diet may provide precursors for synthesis, protect the animal against oxidative stress, and, most importantly, many compounds enhance key metabolic pathways both at metagenomics and host phenotypic level, being essential for animal nutrition and health. Using such examples, this talk will highlight the potentials of phytochemicals as functional feeds, particularly focusing on the promotion of animal health.