The Use of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Livestock Production and Their Phytochemical Effects
Chapter from the book:
Doğan,
H.
&
Baş,
H.
(eds.)
2025.
Integrated Perspectives in Agriculture and Biology: Theory and Practice.
Synopsis
The use of medicinal and aromatic plants in animal husbandry and veterinary practice is increasingly recognised for their phytochemical richness and as sustainable alternatives to synthetic antibiotics. This review examines their roles as functional feed additives; stimulating appetite, promoting growth, combating bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections, and enhancing meat quality and aroma. In addition to these applied benefits, the active compounds in these plants modulate gene expression and transcriptomic pathways, thereby influencing metabolism, immunity, and muscle development. Growing concerns about antibiotic residues in animal products further underscore their significance. By integrating medicinal and aromatic plants into livestock feeding strategies, both productivity and welfare may be improved. This review highlights key chemical constituents, their molecular mechanisms, and implications for livestock production systems, proposing that such integration offers a promising, health-conscious, and environmentally relevant approach to modern animal production.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Hülya Doğan- Hatice Baş; Berna Keleş- Emine Sema Çetin- Müjgan Güney- Servet Aras- Gökçe Aydöner Çoban- Halil Erhan Eroğlu- Gülten Keleş- İlayda Zeliha Özdemir- Fatma Zümra Hayarali- Ertuğrul Kul- Orhan Ermetin- Mehmet Akif Boz- Deniz Can Demir- Duygu Baki Acar- Hacer Tüfekci- İbrahim Can Temur- Hilal Tozlu Çelik- Şerife Nur Selvi- Şahin Tanrıkulu- Şeyda Savalan- Raziye Işık Kalpar- Murat Ertuğrul- Ümran Şeker Ertuğrul- Zehra Meliha Tengiz- Merve Ayyıldız