The Potential of Wood Vinegar to Replace Antimicrobials Used in Animal Husbandry-A Review

Simple Summary One of the most significant challenges nowadays in animal husbandry is the replacement of conventional antimicrobials as growth promoters. Reports about multi-resistant bacteria and environmental contamination caused by antimicrobials increasingly corroborate it. However, any new product developed for such must bring about high performance of animals and economic return for the farmers so the production chain remains profitable. In this context, many research works have demonstrated the potential of wood vinegar from the carbonization process as an efficient antimicrobial agent for animal husbandry. Wood vinegar is a natural and renewable product and may be a valuable alternative to conventional antimicrobials if adequately assessed and directed. In the present work, the potential of wood vinegar as an antimicrobial for animal husbandry is highlighted through several examples of the successful use of the product in managing swine, cattle, and poultry.Abstract The indiscriminate use of antimicrobials in animal husbandry can result in various types of environmental contamination. Part of the dose of these products is excreted, still active, in the animals' feces and urine. These excreta are widely used as organic fertilizers, which results in contamination with antimicrobial molecules. The impacts can occur in several compartments, such as soil, groundwater, and surface watercourses. Also, contamination by antimicrobials fed or administrated to pigs, chickens, and cattle can reach the meat, milk, and other animal products, which calls into question the sustainability of using these products as part of eco-friendly practices. Therefore, a search for alternative natural products is required to replace the conventional antimicrobials currently used in animal husbandry, aiming to mitigate environmental contamination. We thus carried out a review addressing this issue, highlighting wood vinegar (WV), also known as pyroligneous acid, as an alternative antimicrobial with good potential to replace conventional products. In this regard, many studies have demonstrated that WV is a promising product. WV is a nontoxic additive widely employed in the food industry to impart a smoked flavor to foods. Studies have shown that, depending on the WV concentration, good results can be achieved using it as an antimicrobial against pathogenic bacteria and fungi and a valuable growth promoter for poultry and pigs.