curcumin in veterinary medicine: therapeutic potentials

Curcumin, a polyphenolic compound derived from curcuma longa, has been widely studied for its therapeutic potential in veterinary medicine. evidence consistently highlights its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, along with additional antimicrobial, antiviral, and anticancer activities. in cats, curcumin has shown promise in feline infectious peritonitis virus models, obesity-related inflammation, osteoarthritis, and mammary tumor cells. in dogs, it has been evaluated in osteoarthritis, periodontal disease, wound healing, and cancer, with supportive effects reported in both clinical and experimental settings. in cattle and calves, studies suggest protective roles against mastitis, modulation of immune and oxidative responses post-weaning, and supportive effects under heat stress, with additional benefits observed in respiratory and enteric diseases. equine studies indicate adjunctive potential in osteoarthritis, supported by pharmacokinetic evidence of systemic exposure, while sheep studies report improvements in subclinical mastitis, growth, metabolism, meat quality, and resilience under coccidiosis or heat stress. in poultry, curcumin supplementation has been associated with protection against aflatoxin and pesticide toxicity, improved performance under heat stress, modulation of oxidative and immune markers, supportive roles against eimeria-associated coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis, and in vitro antiviral activity against newcastle disease virus. overall, while curcumin demonstrates broad therapeutic potential across species, challenges related to bioavailability, formulation differences, and reliance on multi-component products remain. future research should focus on standardized preparations, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic validation, and well-designed randomized controlled trials to ensure reliable clinical translation.