the health benefit and application of ginger in animal production

Zingiber officinale, commonly known as ginger, is a medicinal plant with a wide range of beneficial properties in livestock production. the rhizome of ginger contains a variety of bioactive compounds, including essential oils (such as zingiberene, curcumin, geraniol, citronyl acetate, terpinolene, linalool, borneol, neral, and geranial), phenolic compounds, and flavonoids. additionally, ginger is rich in organic acids, such as malic, citric, and tartaric acids. these constituents confer numerous therapeutic properties, including antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, antioxidant, antibacterial, antidiarrheal, antispasmodic, astringent, hepatoprotective, fungicidal, cyclooxygenase inhibition, and lipoxygenase inhibition. in ethnoveterinary practices, ginger rhizomes have been used to treat a variety of conditions in livestock, such as coughs, colds, retained placenta, bloat, diarrhea, and sprains in poultry, ruminants, and swine. both the leaves and rhizomes are used in the prevention of mastitis and the treatment of numerous ailments, including wounds, hemorrhagic septicemia, pneumonia, asthma, cough, nasal mucosa swelling, gastrointestinal disturbances (e.g., stomach pain, tympanitis, constipation, dysentery, and loss of appetite), lumbar fractures, and urinary retention. beyond its medicinal uses in humans, the bioactive molecules in ginger play a pivotal role in improving livestock and fisheries production. supplementation of animal feed with ginger and its derivatives aligns with modern agricultural practices, particularly organic animal husbandry. this review compiles evidence on the effects of ginger and its extracts on various performance parameters in animals, including poultry, horses, ruminants, and fish.