Livestock, a crucial agricultural subsector, plays a significant role in meeting the nutritional needs of communities. However, when it comes to raising livestock, health considerations become paramount. Currently, various efforts are underway to maintain the health and treat diseases in livestock, and one notable approach is the administration of herbs or natural medicines.
Natural medicine refers to ingredients or concoctions derived from plant, animal, mineral, galenic preparations, or a combination of these elements, utilized as veterinary medicine. To date, the regulation of natural medicines is covered by the Minister of Agriculture Regulation (Permentan) Number 14/PERMENTAN/PK.350/5/2017 of 2017 concerning the Classification of Animal Medicines. The Ministry of Agriculture (Ministry of Agriculture) has also conducted a review through the PPOH (Veterinary Medicine Assessment Committee) team.
Euis Nia Setiawati, an Animal Nutrition and Feed Expert, as well as a Widyaiswara from the Cinagara Animal Health Training Center (BBPKH), highlighted the significance of medicinal plants as commonly used natural medicines for livestock. In an online seminar, Euis mentioned, “The use of medicines in animal husbandry has been around for a long time in society, but it has not been widely publicized”.
Often referred to as 'living pharmacies,' medicinal plants offer a plethora of plant content that can be processed into medicinal ingredients, aiding in maintaining the health and metabolism of both humans and animals.
Euis explained that people utilize medicinal plants to uphold health, enhance nutritional status, contribute to environmental greenery, and increase income. The use of medicinal plants is considered safer than chemical drugs. Medicinal plants, processed for healing and medicinal purposes, serve various functions such as growth promoters, antibacterial agents, nutritional supplements, antiparasitic solutions, hepatoprotective aids, antioxidants, reproductive enhancers, and insecticides.
“The function of medicinal plants can serve as an immunomodulator in maintaining the body's immune system, using plants like meniran, ginger, gotu kola, and ginger. Additionally, purwaceng, Javanese chilies, and pasak bumi can be employed to boost stamina or sexual desire, especially in males (aphrodisiac). Medicinal plants are also utilized to treat serious or degenerative illnesses, for example, bitter, ginger, noni, gotu kola, turmeric, white turmeric, astibaba, and others,”she added.
Medicinal plants can be sourced from various parts of plants, including leaves (red seeds, basil, pine, cucumber, and white guava), roots (banana), tubers (garlic, turmeric, ginger), skin (tamarind, sugar apple, red resin), seeds (candlenut), and fruit (beligo, areca nut, coconut). However, leaves are the most widely used part due to their ease of processing and rich content of active compounds, including saponins, silicic acid, flavonides, tannins, foliphenols, alkaloids, hypaphorine, trigoneline, vitamins A, B, C, essential oils, reducing sugars, salts and minerals, fat, resin, momordisin, up to tricosanic acid.
