ISSUE FOCUS 38 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE March 2023 approach to phytotherapy is thus essential in bridging the gap between human and animal health while promoting natural and sustainable alternatives in animal agriculture. Computer-Aided phytotherapy (aCAP) is a cutting-edge AI/ML integrated technology developed by Daskdan Innovations. It is the first time RP has been used to look into the potential of the phytobiome as a source of plant-based medicines and dietary supplements for animal health. aCAP is equipped with animal-specific disease and target identification modules and an extensive library of phytocompounds to identify the most promising plant-based solutions for promoting sustainable animal health. One of the critical challenges in developing plant-based solutions is the anti-nutritional activity (ANA) associated with the active constituents. ANA can adversely affect the feed conversion ratio (FCR), animal health, and growth. To address this issue, aCAP has a module that checks the ANA activity of the most promising plant-based solutions and selects only those with little or no ANA activity. The data generated from the module is used to train the AI program to enable chemoinformatics-guided engineering of feed enzymes in the future. By integrating this module, aCAP can provide a more efficient and effective way to develop plant-based solutions for sustainable animal health, allowing for safer and healthier alternatives to chemical-based additives. By utilising the Himalayan phytobiome and continuously exploring diverse plant sources for animal health, technologies such as aCAP can potentially revolutionise the field of animal nutrition and health, benefiting farmers, consumers, and the environment. With computer technologies, researchers can identify the most promising phytomolecules for treating various animal health issues. By adjusting the active ingredients and dosages, scientists can create tailored therapeutics with greater effectiveness and fewer side effects. By adopting a more systematic approach to phytotherapy, we can develop plant-based medicines and nutraceuticals for animals that are safer and more efficient than their synthetic counterparts, reducing the reliance on antibiotics and other chemicals in animal feed and thereby mitigating the environmental impact of animal agriculture. About Naveed A. Chikan Naveed A. Chikan is a cancer biologist turned entrepreneur and the founder/CSO of Daskdan Innovations, a pioneering animal health start-up in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. With a mission to introduce plant-based alternatives to antibiotics/chemicals for food-producing animal farmers, Naveed at Daskdan has secured a $100k grant for his proof-of-concept development. His prior experience includes working in rational drug discovery for cancer biology. Figure 2. aCAP, which integrates computerbased methods with phytotherapy discovery for animal health. This pioneering approach could revolutionise the animal health industry by enabling the development of more effective, natural therapies.
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