Natural Products in Animal Health: A Narrative Review of Antimicrobial, Anti-Inflammatory, Anticancer, and Anti-Aging Applications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65336/Keywords:
Natural products, Animal health, Antimicrobial activity, Anti-inflammatory agents, Anticancer and anti-aging applications.Abstract
Natural products are increasingly explored as complementary tools for improving animal health, particularly in response to antimicrobial resistance, chronic inflammation, cancer, and age-related decline. This narrative review summarizes their antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and anti-aging applications in experimental and veterinary models. Evidence from in vitro studies, Caenorhabditis elegans, rodents, livestock, poultry, aquaculture species, and companion animals shows that natural products may inhibit microbial growth, modulate inflammation, reduce oxidative stress, suppress cancer-related pathways, and support physiological resilience. However, their clinical translation remains limited by variability in composition, inconsistent dosing, poor bioavailability, and insufficient species-specific studies. Overall, natural products represent promising preventive and therapeutic adjuncts, but their use in animal health requires stronger experimental validation, standardized formulations, and controlled veterinary trials.
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