Editorial: Exploring plant-based therapies in veterinary medicine

lowers resistance to disease and increases the risk of mas>>s, hoof problems, and reproduc>ve condi>ons while also compromising the quality and yield of their milk produc>on. Through integrated transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and network pharmacology, Li et al provided insight into how GYP impacts glutathione cycling in fa]y liver cells, sugges>ng poten>al therapeu>c applica>ons for dairy cows with fa]y liver disease.Chen et al studied a TCM formula in Simmental bulls with oligoasthenozoospermia (OA), characterized by reduced sperm count and mo>lity. They adapted their "Modified Yougui Powder", or MYP, from the classical remedy, Yougui Pill. They found that MYP administra>on in bulls with OA improved sperm count and mo>lity, regulated hormone levels, and restored amino acid metabolic homeostasis. In so doing, they not only iden>fied a cost-effec>ve therapeu>c op>on for OA; they also demys>fied the mechanisms of ac>on of a TCM formula, paving for modernizing the prac>ce of Chinese medicine.Confronted by a diagnosis of cancer in their animal, veterinary clients frequently ask if herbs can cure cancer. While plants cannot replace chemotherapy, radia>on therapy, or surgery, emerging evidence suggests that some herbs, such as mistletoe, may have an>cancer effects, but far more research is warranted. Cakiroglu et al compared two extracts of mistletoe on cells from an aggressive type of oral cancer in cats, feline oral squamous cell carcinoma (FOSCC). Based on a study of FOSCC cells, they showed that mistletoe extract disrup>ng key processes of cancer cell prolifera>on and survival.In the realm of diges>ve disorders, about twenty percent of dogs develop chronic inflammatory enteropathy (CIE), manifes>ng as vomi>ng and diarrhea triggered by certain foods, bacteria, or immunologic hyperreac>vity in the gut. Over >me, ongoing inflamma>on erodes surface integrity in the intes>nal lining, allowing endotoxins to enter the bloodstream. Móritz et al explored the an>-inflammatory, an>microbial, and an>oxidant proper>es of flavonoids such as luteolin, querce>n, and grape seed extract oligomeric proanthocyanidins (GSOP). They confirmed that specific flavonoids could reduce reac>ve oxygen species levels and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). These findings indicate that flavonoids may assist in the management of CIE in dogs, but further studies are needed prior to clinical implementa>on.Bharani et al also looked at canine gastrointes>nal health issues through protec>ng and modula>ng the gut microbiome. They studied the adaptogenic and an>-inflammatory effects of ashwagandha root extract (ARE) on the microbiome, finding that ARE improved certain hematologic and biochemical profiles in healthy Beagles. More studies are required to help us grapple with the vast unknowns about the gut microbiome, which some classify as an "invisible organ".Canine infec>ous respiratory disease (CIRD) and canine pneumonia outbreaks spiked in North America in late 2023, raising public awareness of its risks and transmissibility. CIRD has a variety of e>ologies, including canine adenovirus type 2, canine influenza virus, and canine herpesvirus type 1 as well as secondary bacterial infec>ons with Streptococcus and Bordetella bronchisep3ca. Anxie>es about an>bio>c resistance and side effects of long-term steroid treatment have prompted the search for new therapeu>c strategies that lessen morbidity and speed healing. To this end, Ji et al conducted a prospec>ve, randomized, controlled trial on an extract (Anemoside B4, or AB4) of pulsa>lla. Compared to placebo, dogs receiving AB4 injec>on had faster recovery >mes, lower composite clinical scores, and a significantly higher cure rate with no serious adverse reac>ons or mortality observed.The cannabinoid study by Wang et al illustrates the strides that veterinary botanical medicine has made over the past decade since the passage of the 2014 Farm Bill in the United States. This bill, officially named the Agricultural Act of 2014, authorized academic and agricultural ins>tu>ons to perform research on industrial hemp. This shik in federal policy laid the groundwork for studies on veterinary usage by crea>ng a legal path forward.In the paper by Wang et al, researchers compared the absorp>on of various cannabinoid prepara>ons: 1) a CBD isolate, 2) a cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) isolate, 3) a CBDA full-spectrum formula, and 4) a combined CBD/CBDA full spectrum formula. They found that the CBDA exhibited be]er absorp>on than CBD, whether ingested in isolate or full-spectrum form.Studies on cannabis are building a more complete picture on the mechanisms, pharmacokine>cs, clinical applica>ons, and adverse effects of cannabis deriva>ves. In the short amount of >me that research on cannabis has become legal, we now have far more informa>on on hemp-derived cannabinoids in veterinary medicine than for any other botanical medicine product. Furthermore, the cannabis industry has modeled, through their genera>on of cer>ficates of analysis (CoA), how to give consumers transparency about product purity, quality, safety, and contaminants. Why, might we ask, aren't manufacturers of all botanical remedies following suit?