Phytase as a functional feed additive for poultry: mechanistic insights into thermoregulation and productive...

Heat stress poses a momentous challenge in poultry production, especially in tropical and subtropical areas, resulting in diminished growth performance, impaired health, and elevated mortality rates. While with the increase in global temperatures, it is imperative to reform effective strategies to alleviate heat stress. Phytase supplementation presents a promising solution, utilizing its enzymatic potential to improve phosphorus availability from plant-derived feed components. This review explores the role of phytase supplementation in alleviating the adverse effects of heat stress in chicken, emphasizing its physiological, metabolic, and immune-modulatory implications. Phytase treatment obviously enhances phosphorus use, facilitates skeletal development, and aids in regulating energy metabolism, essential for maintaining thermoregulation in chicken. Additionally, increased phosphorus bioavailability can enhance bone mineralization, immunological function, and general performance. Besides, phytase supplementation has demonstrated its ability to modulate gut health that can exacerbate heat stress and thus diminishing the hostile effects of heat stress. Recent studies have demonstrated that phytase can beneficially influence physiological parameters, including thermoregulation, feed intake, and water consumption, thereby enhancing poultry welfare during heat stress. This review evaluates the role of phytase in ameliorating adverse impacts of heat stress in chicken and examines the biochemical pathways whereby phytase affects thermal tolerance, including its possible influence on oxidative stress and inflammation.