Use of Medicinal Plants and Their Derivatives in Animal Production and Health
A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Farm Animal Production".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 January 2026 | Viewed by 37
Special Issue Editor
Interests: animal reproduction; alternative therapy; ethnoveterinary practices; exotic animals; nutritional supplementation livestock and poultry
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The application of medicinal plants and their derivatives in animal production and health is rooted in centuries of ethnoveterinary knowledge. In recent decades, the growing demand for sustainable and residue-free animal products, coupled with increasing concerns over antimicrobial resistance, has reignited scientific interest in phytogenic compounds as viable alternatives to conventional therapeutics and growth promoters.
This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive platform for current research and critical reviews on the utilization of medicinal plants in animal health management and production systems. The scope encompasses a wide range of topics including, but not limited to, the use of plant extracts and/or essential oils to enhance immune function, improve feed efficiency, support reproductive health, mitigate stress, and prevent or treat infectious diseases in livestock and poultry.
We particularly encourage submissions that present cutting-edge research on the mechanisms of action, pharmacodynamics, safety evaluation, standardization, and delivery systems of plant-based products. Contributions exploring the role of phytogenic compounds in gut health, microbiota modulation, and metabolic regulation are also of high interest.
Original research articles, systematic reviews, opinions, and well-documented case studies are invited. Studies that integrate traditional knowledge with modern scientific approaches or that provide translational insights for field application will be prioritized. This Special Issue seeks to advance evidence-based uses of medicinal plants in veterinary and animal production sciences.
Dr. Dražen Đuričić
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- medicinal plants
- animal health
- antimicrobial resistance
- immunomodulation
- natural therapeutics
- livestock sustainability
- reproductive performance
- gut microbiota
- ethnoveterinary practices
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