Zwischen Empirie und Evidenz - (Re)Aktivierung der Veterinärphytotherapie

Walkenhorst, Michael; Vogl, Christian R.; Vogl-Lukasser, Brigitte; Vollstedt, Sabine; Brendieck-Worm, Cäcilia; Ivemeyer, Silvia; Klarer, Franziska; Meier, Beat; Schmid, Kathrin; Disler, Muriel; Bischoff, T; Hamburger, Matthias; Häsler, S; Stöger, Elisabeth

doi:10.1159/000362396

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Nowadays, scientific literature relies on few books or manuals regarding veterinary phytotherapy [16,17], but clinical data on animals are few, and many applications have been adapted from human phytotherapy [16]. Further sources of information might be historical books or ethnoveterinary knowledge from Asia and Africa where medicinal plant use has a continued tradition in veterinary medicine, and findings of recent ethnoveterinary research in Europe [18]. According to McCorkle [19], ethnoveterinary research is ‘the systematic investigation and application of folk veterinary knowledge, theory and practice'.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Treatment of Organic Livestock with Medicinal Plants: A Systematic Review of European Ethnoveterinary Research

et al. 2014

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Background: The EC Regulation for Organic Farming states that organic livestock should be treated preferably with phytotherapeutic products. In spite of the high importance of organic livestock in Europe, primarily ruminants, today almost no phytotherapeutic product is registered for livestock. Also, information regarding veterinary phytotherapy is rare. The aim of this paper is to find approaches to cope with health problems of organic ruminants in Europe on the basis of findings from the European ethnoveterinary medicine (EuEVM). Methods: A systematic review of ethno-biomedicinal papers was conducted with the aid of the Scopus database, and 75 papers, from European countries were analyzed regarding ethnoveterinary information. Results: A total of 590 plant species referring to 102 different plant families are reported to be used for animal treatment, with Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Lamiaceae being the most important families. The traditional use of some plant species (e.g. mallow, chamomile, wormwood) corresponds with findings from recent scientific literature. The large number of less studied plant species, such as white lupin as an antiparasitic herb, and Helleborus spp. as potential immunostimulatory agent, opens an interesting field for future research. Conclusions: In general, EuEVM provides interesting treatment approaches for gastrointestinal and dermatological disorders as well as parasitosis. Findings regarding disorders of female genital or respiratory tract are less consistent. Nevertheless, EuEVM offers a solid basis for stimulating research in veterinary phytotherapy in Europe with a perspective to solve animal health problems in organic or even nonorganic ruminant production.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Treatment of Organic Livestock with Medicinal Plants: A Systematic Review of European Ethnoveterinary Research

et al. 2014

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“…An increasing body of scientific investigations on the mode of action of phytochemicals supports several of the traditional uses of herbs in animals (Ayrle et al, 2016;Mayer et al, 2014;Rochfort, Parker, & Dunshea, 2008;Walkenhorst et al, 2014). Considering the high incidence of dairy cows' "production disease" complexes linked to metabolism, the musculoskeletal system, fertility and udder health (Knaus, 2009), the use of plants rich in phytochemicals should be considered more seriously as a preventive and therapeutic option.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A multicomponent herbal feed additive improves somatic cell counts in dairy cows ‐ a two stage, multicentre, placebo‐controlled long‐term on‐farm trial

Walkenhorst

Leiber

Maeschli

et al. 2020

Animal Physiology Nutrition

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In contrast to natural and historical diets of wild and domesticated ruminants, the diversity of plant species is limited in diets of modern dairy cows. Are “production diseases” linked to this? We conducted a trial to test the effects of a multicomponent herbal feed additive (HFA) on health, performance and fertility traits. A dose‐finding study (DF) with 62 cows on 11 commercial farms compared a low (50 g) and a high (100 g) dose of HFA (HFA‐50, HFA‐100) with a placebo (PL). In a subsequent field trial (FT) with 280 cows on 30 commercial farms, HFA‐100 was compared to PL. Cows were randomly assigned to HFA and PL groups and received HFA or PL individually daily from 14 days pre‐ to 300 days post‐calving. Data were analysed with mixed effects models. No differences between HFA and PL were found regarding performance, body condition score and overall culling rates. A tendency towards lower milk urea for HFA‐100 compared to PL (p = .06) was found in DF. HFA significantly reduced elevated milk acetone observations (≥10 mg/L) in the first 10 lactation weeks (HFA‐100: 4%; HFA‐50: 4%; PL: 12%) in DF. HFA‐50 significantly reduced lameness incidence (HFA‐100: 11%; HFA‐50: 2%; PL: 14%) in DF. Calving intervals were 15 days shorter in HFA compared to PL in both trials, which could be confirmed by tendency (p = .07) in FT. In both trials, the proportion of test days with elevated somatic cell score (≥3.0) was significantly lower in HFA compared to PL (DF: HFA‐100: 40%, HFA‐50: 45% and PL: 55%; FT: HFA‐100: 38% and PL: 55%) which is also reflected by tendency (p = .08) in lower culling rates due to udder diseases in FT. HFA showed no negative impact on any of the measured parameters. The effects of HFA indicate a potential of phytochemically rich and diverse feed additives for dairy cows' nutrition and physiology.

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“…In European countries, modern veterinary practices are common and there is a risk of EVM disappearing altogether [ 17 , 18 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local knowledge held by farmers in Eastern Tyrol (Austria) about the use of plants to maintain and improve animal health and welfare

Vogl

Vogl-Lukasser

Walkenhorst

2016

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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BackgroundThe sustainable management of animal health and welfare is of increasing importance to consumers and a key topic in the organic farming movement. Few systematic studies have been undertaken investigating farmers’ local knowledge related to this issue. Ethnoveterinary medicine (EVM) is a discipline focusing on local knowledge and folk methods in veterinary medicine, however most ethnoveterinarian studies primarily address the treatment of animal diseases. Very few studies have explored prophylactic methods.MethodsAn ethnoveterinary research project in Eastern Tyrol (Austria) was conducted in 2004 and 2005 to gather information about local knowledge of animal husbandry from 144 informants, with the emphasis on plants that maintain livestock health and welfare.ResultsInformants mentioned a total of 87 plants and 22 plant-based generic terms in the context of maintaining and improving livestock health and welfare. The most important preventive measures for maintaining and improving animal health and welfare were practices related to “fodder” and “feeding”. In this category the plants mentioned could be grouped according to three different perceptions about their effect on animals: “Good or bad fodder”, “Functional fodder” and “Fodder medicine”. In addition to fodder, environmental management, the human-animal relationship, household remedies and cultural/religious activities were also mentioned. When asked about practices in the past that maintained animal health and well-being, interviewees mentioned, for example, the importance of the diversity of sources that used to be available to obtain feed and fodder.ConclusionsThe informants’ approach that feeding is central to livestock welfare is in line with the standard scientific literature on animal health, including in organic farming. Various scientific studies into common fodder evaluate the nutritive and dietary value, efficiency and safety of fodder. Future studies also have to consider the evaluation of traditional, local fodder resources. In fact, the value of ‘food as medicine’ for humans in the context of local knowledge has been widely assessed, but the potential health benefits of fodder and nutraceuticals in local and traditional ethnoveterinary methods require further attention.

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Zwischen Empirie und Evidenz - (Re)Aktivierung der Veterinärphytotherapie

Cited by 8 publications

References 0 publications

Treatment of Organic Livestock with Medicinal Plants: A Systematic Review of European Ethnoveterinary Research

Treatment of Organic Livestock with Medicinal Plants: A Systematic Review of European Ethnoveterinary Research

A multicomponent herbal feed additive improves somatic cell counts in dairy cows ‐ a two stage, multicentre, placebo‐controlled long‐term on‐farm trial

Local knowledge held by farmers in Eastern Tyrol (Austria) about the use of plants to maintain and improve animal health and welfare

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