phytogenic-additives
Phytogenic additives are plant-derived compounds—such as essential oils, herbs, spices, and botanical extracts—used to enhance biological processes in agricultural and livestock systems. In plant science, they are studied for their bioactive properties, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, and growth-promoting effects that can influence plant health and productivity. Research into these compounds helps scientists understand how secondary metabolites from plants can be harnessed to develop sustainable, natural alternatives to synthetic agricultural inputs.
PubMed · 2026-04-02
Adding extracts from moringa, jatropha, and aloe vera to sheep feed reduced methane emissions by up to 17% and improved protein and dry matter digestion, without slowing animal growth. This suggests these plant-based additives could be a natural, sustainable tool for making livestock farming cleaner and more efficient.
Methane emissions dropped by up to 17% (jatropha), 12% (aloe), and 9% (moringa) compared to control lambs with no plant extract supplementation.
Moringa and jatropha extracts improved dry matter and crude protein digestibility, meaning lambs absorbed more nutrients from the same amount of feed.
Gut microbiome analysis showed an enrichment of genes linked to protein production and carbohydrate breakdown in moringa and jatropha groups, helping explain the digestibility improvements at a microbial level.
