Natural Phytochemicals To Enhance Animal Productivity And Health Status With Low Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The phytochemical components are generally recognized as safe for human consumption; therefore, they have higher social acceptance than the chemical feed additives. Phytochemical compounds were found to manipulate the ruminal environment through more potent mechanisms of action, which may avoid the microbial adaptation effects and losing activity over time. Phytochemicals have additional benefits due to the presence of antimicrobial, antioxidant and immune-modulating properties, which can improve animal health and ameliorate stress besides inhibiting greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) production. The concern on GHG emissions from the livestock sector has increased in recent years, as some reports pointed out livestock as one of the significant contributors to these emissions. Methane-forming archaea (methanogens) in the animal gastrointestinal tract (GIT) are considered to represent keystone species to produce methane (CH4) by maintaining numerous syntrophic relationships with other microorganisms. Archaea utilize the secondary metabolites of the protozoa and cellulose-fermenting bacteria to prevent the hydrogen accumulation in the rumen and maintain the normal course of fermentation processes in the rumen. Therefore any strategy to reduce ruminal CH4 formation needs to consider removing excess metabolic hydrogen from the rumen. Over the last two decades, the literature explored various CH4 mitigation strategies. Recently many phytochemicals were tested for their potential to reduce GHG emissions from livestock; however, they presented limited efficiency compared to ionophore antibiotics or synthetic chemicals to reduce GHG.
This Research Topic offers a valuable tool for understanding the possible mode of actions of phytochemical components or natural bioactive components and their influence on livestock production, animal health, considering the practical use for most livestock farmers. This Research Topic concentrated on using natural, low-cost strategies or descriptive technologies which can improve animal productivity and may reduce the impacts of GHG. This topic also addresses the possible ways to enhance the efficiency of phytochemical components; this may include using various extraction methods, encapsulation methods, transforming in nanoparticles, or combination with other active ingredients (clays, probiotics, ...). Therefore, we invite scientists and researchers in the field of veterinary and livestock production from the worldwide community to submit valuable research papers, case studies, technical developments, and reviews relevant to this context.
Keywords: bioactive components, methane, performance, health, immunity, alternative feed additives, food safety


Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

- Phytochemicals possible mode of actions.
- Improving animal productivity and health status by natural feed additives.
- Practical methods to enhance photochemical efficiency.
- nano or microencapsulation forms of phytochemicals.
- Mitigating greenhouse gas through animal welfare improvement.
- alternative feed addtives to decrease GHG emission from the livestock sector.
- Applying practical advances in measuring farms' animal GHG.
- In vitro evaluations for novel phytochemicals.