ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE March 2023 37 in food-producing animals. With over 1,200 medicinal plants out of an estimated 25,000 plant species, the Himalayas are a great place to do research and development in this area. Efforts to identify natural alternatives to drugs and chemicals for food-producing animals could lead to discoveries and innovations in animal nutrition and health. The development of drugs using rational drug design methods, which involve the use of computers, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML), has become a standard practice in the pharmaceutical industry for humans. However, a similar approach that can fully exploit the potential of different phytobiomes is necessary to meet the needs of animals. To this end, a rationalised approach to phytotherapy (RP) is required. With RP, scientists can quickly sort through the phytobiome to identify promising plants that can help animals in specific ways. This method will significantly reduce the time and cost required to develop phytotherapy products with immune-modulating, immune-stimulating, growth-promoting, antibacterial, and parasite-killing effects. By replacing chemical feed additives, particularly antibiotics, with plant-based alternatives, RP can help minimise the overuse of antimicrobials in animal agriculture. Integrating computer-based technologies with phytotherapy is crucial to improving the search for new plant-based chemicals for animal care. This approach can aid in finding safer alternatives to synthetic pharmaceuticals and chemicals, benefiting both animal and human health. A rationalised Figure 1. The trend in research output on phyto and traditional medicine over the past century shows a significant increase in the last decade.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUxNjkxNQ==