Medicinal plants: a source of phytobiotics for the feed additives

Medicinal plants are a rich source of secondary metabolites, which can be used in veterinary medicine as growth stimulants and as next-generation antibacterials. Medicinal plants are used in the food, feed, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and other industries because of their antiviral, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. The feed industry has found use for medicinal plants because they contain substances with unique biological (antimicrobial, immunomodeling, anti-stress, growth-stimulating, etc.) properties. The use of synthetic antibiotics and hormones can be reduced by adding phytogenic feed additives in the form of powders or extracts to the feed. This improves the health of the animals and lowers their morbidity and mortality rates. This review aimed to study the role of plant-based preparation (phytobiotics based on extracts of medicinal plants) in the development of animal husbandry and the potential of medicinal plants as a resource for their production. The most important properties of plant extracts are their antibiotic properties, which can significantly reduce the use of feed antibiotics when raising animals and reduce antibiotic resistance in the human body when consuming animal products. The development of plant-based antibacterial agents and their application in animal husbandry are relevant given the high profitability of food production, which is a global trend that benefits both animals' and people's health.