Barley β-glucan in poultry diets.

There has been an increased interest in the use of immunomodulators as substitutes for antibiotics in food animal production. Beta-glucans from yeast and fungi may be ideal substitutes because of their positive effects on the avian immune system without adversely affecting poultry performance. Barley β-glucans, however, have not shown this potential due to the adverse effects dietary inclusion of barley has on poultry performance.