Offers information on different natural alternatives to using antibiotics to fight infection and maintain a healthy immune system, explaining the importance of using antibiotics correctly, controlling and overcome infections without antibiotics, avoiding antibiotic dependency, and other related topics.

This book discusses prospective alternative approaches to fight bacterial infections to minimize the indiscriminate use of conventional antibiotics. It offers the current knowledge on research and development of alternative antibacterial agents such as probiotics, nanobiotics etc. while it also discusses newly emerging trends such as phage therapy, antibody therapy etc. The book highlights on the phytochemicals with potent antibacterial activities as alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Chemical modification to develop next generation antibiotics with enhanced efficacy has also been included. Such modifications are reported to overcome the inherent resistance of the parent antibiotics. Phage therapy and targeted antibodies are considered as potential alternative approaches to treat bacterial ailments and represent areas of cutting-edge research and have therefore been discussed with sufficient care. Mainly, the book highlights various approaches other than conventional antibiotics in treating bacterial infections. The scientific advancements in these areas will strengthen the ‘One Health’ approach benefiting human beings, animals and environment as well. This book is a comprehensive resource to cater researchers, biological scientists, herbalists and clinical practitioners with up-to-date information on antibacterials other than antibiotics.

The thoughtless person playing with penicillin treatment is morally responsible for the death of the man who succumbs to infection with the penicillin-resistant organism.” As Alexander Fleming predicted already in 1945 bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. From time to time we are bombarded with news of infections and deaths caused by antibiotic resistant and multiple drug resistant superbugs. This increase of resistance towards commonly used antibiotics due to decades of use, misuse and abuse of antibiotics, is today a global health concern. Research investments on development of new antimicrobials that can fight antimicrobial resistant microorganisms are scarce yet some new antibiotic discoveries have been described recently. Nevertheless, the advent of antibiotic failure due to bacterial resistance has brought interest in other alternative therapies. Natural products from microbial origin are examples of such alternative therapies. Bacteriophages are bacterial viruses and consequently bacterial natural enemies and together with their derived enzymes are efficient towards antibiotic resistant bacteria. Antimicrobial peptides (AMP), natural compounds with alternative mechanisms of action, are short-length peptides present in a variety of sources and in many forms. AMP have been recognized as promising candidates for replacing classical antimicrobials due to their multiple mechanisms of action and general low specificity in terms of molecular targets, which reduces the chance of acquired resistance. Quorum sensing inhibitors (QSI) are destabilisers of key communication mechanisms that regulate virulence and the establishment of biofilm-related infections.

'A long-awaited book that answers many questions.' Jan de Vries Antibiotics were developed in the 1940s. Then, they were hailed as a huge breakthrough in the treatment of bacterial infections. Today, they are the most commonly prescribed drugs worldwide. But massive over-prescription of antibiotics has created its own problems. The advent of antibiotic-resistant organisms – or 'superbugs' – has led more and more people to demand alternatives. Natural Alternatives to Antibiotics is a revised and updated version of Dr John McKenna's international bestseller Alternatives to Antibiotics. First published in 1996 and translated into 16 languages, Alternatives to Antibiotics explains in simple, jargon-free language the variety of alternatives to antibiotics in treating infections. Dr McKenna compares conventional medicine and alternative medical approaches, highlighting the benefits and drawbacks of both. In Natural Alternatives to Antibiotics, Dr McKenna looks at the various strains of infections which have become resistant since his international bestseller Alternatives to Antibiotics was published. Dr McKenna has expanded his sections on alternative, herbal, homeopathic and nutritional medicines, and shows directly that it is still possible to treat infections without antibiotics while still acknowledging the times that they may be necessary. Natural Alternatives to Antibiotics: Table of Contents Introduction - The History of Antibiotics - Bacterial Resistance to Antibiotics - The Use and Abuse of Antibiotics - Conventional and Alternative Medical Approaches - Childhood Infections - Herbal Medicine - Homeopathic Medicine - Nutritional Medicine - Nutritional Supplements - The Role of Stress Conclusion

This handbook focuses on the use of antibiotic alternatives in poultry and fish feed. Chapters in the book cover a range of natural ingredients in feed and the impacts of these natural feed additives on growth, production, reproduction and health status of poultry and fish. All chapters give a holistic approach to how organic feed additives (herbal plants and their extracts, probiotics, peptides, etc.) can positively impact animal health and production. Key Features: - presents 13 chapters contributed by 38 experts and scientists of animal, poultry and fish nutrition, poultry and fish physiology, toxicology, pharmacology, and pathology - highlights the significance of herbal plants and their extracts and derivatives, cold-pressed and essential oils and fruits by-products - covers the effects of special ingredients such as immunomodulators, antimicrobial peptides, and probiotics - provides the reader an updated perspective on the use of additives in poultry and fish industry as growth promoters and their role in developing bacterial resistance to antibiotics - covers the main poultry species, egg-laying hens, quails, geese, ducks, turkey, and commercial fish - includes references for advanced readers This book will be useful for poultry and fish keepers and researchers in animal nutrition, pharmacology, and veterinary sciences. Professionals involved in the poultry and fish feed industry will also find the information useful for product development.

Dr. McKenna offers information on the herbal remedies, nutritional supplements, and dietary changes that can combat bacterial infections without the use of antibiotics.

Food is an essential means for humans and other animals to acquire the necessary elements needed for survival. However, it is also a transport vehicle for foodborne pathogens, which can pose great threats to human health. Use of antibiotics has been enhanced in the human health system; however, selective pressure among bacteria allows the development for antibiotic resistance. Foodborne Pathogens and Antibiotic Resistance bridges technological gaps, focusing on critical aspects of foodborne pathogen detection and mechanisms regulating antibiotic resistance that are relevant to human health and foodborne illnesses This groundbreaking guide: • Introduces the microbial presence on variety of food items for human and animal consumption. • Provides the detection strategies to screen and identify the variety of food pathogens in addition to reviews the literature. • Provides microbial molecular mechanism of food spoilage along with molecular mechanism of microorganisms acquiring antibiotic resistance in food. • Discusses systems biology of food borne pathogens in terms of detection and food spoilage. • Discusses FDA’s regulations and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) towards challenges and possibilities of developing global food safety. Foodborne Pathogens and Antibiotic Resistance is an immensely useful resource for graduate students and researchers in the food science, food microbiology, microbiology, and industrial biotechnology.