INSIGHTSINSIGHTSA newsletter from the house of

In these modern years, plant derived products are increasingly being sought

out as medicinal products & nutraceuticals. Herbal medicines widely used in

health-care and animal feed additives. Herbal formulations have reached

widespread acceptability as therapeutic agents for diabetics, arthritics, liver

diseases, immune stimulants, cough remedies, memory enhancers and

adoptogens. As per WHO definition, there are three kinds of herbal

medicines: raw plant material, processed plant material and medicinal herbal

products.

According to an estimate of the World Health Organization (WHO), about 80%

of the world population still uses herbs and other traditional medicines for

their primary health care needs. The use of herbal formulations has increased

remarkably in line with the global trend of people returning to natural

therapies. Supplementation of antibiotic in farm animal diets to improve

animal growth performance and efficiency of feed conversion, historically, has

been theorized as a means of establishing food animals as reservoirs for

antibiotic resistant pathogens isolated from humans. Given the rising

concerns associated with increased antibiotic resistance in bacterial

pathogens making treatment of clinical diseases more difficult, antibiotic use

in animal management in the U.S. and Europe has become more of a

controversial issue. In this context, we would like to deal about the role of

phytochemicals, it's limitation and the way to overcome those limitations.

Specifications of phytochemicals

Phytochemicals are described by primary and secondary plant compounds.

Primary compounds are main nutrients (e.g., content of protein, fat, etc.),

whereas, secondary compounds comprise alkaloids, glycoloids, essential

(ethereal) and/or volatile oils, bitterns, hot stuffs, colorants and phenolic

compounds (Wald, 2003). In general, phytochemicals do not add significantly

to the intake of main nutrients in poultry. Therefore, secondary plant

compounds are the main ingredients of interest.

Contd. on page 2

Phytochemicals:The future stands here

November - January 2013-14Volume 01 Issue 05

Beneficial effects of Phytochemicals as Animal Feed Supplement

1. Increased feed intake: The stimulatory effect of phytochemicals on feed

intake is due to the claimed improvement in palatability of the diet resulting

from the enhanced flavor and odor, especially with the use of essential oils

and may be due to their anti-oxidative effects, which might contribute to

preserving the desired organoleptic qualities of the diet. This effect could be

of relevance to feed rich in fat.

2. Stimulation of digestive secretions: Stimulation of digestive secretions,

such as saliva, digestive enzymes, bile and mucus is often considered to be one

of the important actions of phytochemicals.

3. Antimicrobial and coccidiostatic activity: Phytochemicals can selectively

influence microorganisms through antimicrobial activity, or by a favorable

stimulation of the eubiosis of the micro flora. This leads to better utilization

and absorption of nutrients resulting in higher performance.

4. Antioxidant activity: Plant oils containing natural antioxidants contribute

to the improved oxidative stability of meat and meat products containing

higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acid.

5. Stimulation of the immune system: Polysaccharides derived from many

plants play an important role in stimulating the growth of immune organs,

increasing the number and activities of many interdependent cell types such

as T, B lymphocytes, macrophages and natural killer (NK) cells, and enhancing

cellular and humoral immune response.

6. Pharmacological actions: A wide range of phytochemicals are known from

folk medicine to exert pharmacological actions within the digestive tract, such

as laxative and spasmolytic effects as well as prevention from flatulence &

pronounce precaecal absorption of glucose via direct stimulation of Na/K-

ATPase. Another field of phytochemical actions comprises astringent and

denaturizing properties.

Phenolic compounds

E.g., Chicoric acid,

Flavonoids

Herbs and Spices

E.g.,

- Protein

- Carbohydrates

- Fat

Secondary ingredients

Essential oils

E.g., Terpenes, Carvacrol

Bitterns

Hot stuffs

E.g., Capsaicin, Peperin

Colorants

E.g., Xanthophylls

Primary ingredients

Composition and main ingredients of phytobiotics (Wald, 2003)

Extraction of Phytochemicals

Condiment Active principle Functional Properties

Turmeric powder Curcumin Anti-inflammatory,

( ) antioxidantCurcuma longa

Garlic ( ) Allicin,Allin Lower serum triglyceroids &Allium sativum

LDL-cholestrol, fibrinolytic,

antibacterial & antiviral

Tulsi ( ) Flavonoids Antiasthamatic, immunomodulatorOcimum sanctum

Black pepper Piperine Carminative, Antioxidant,

( ) antibacterialPiper nigrum

Cinnamon Cinnamaldehyde Antioxidant

( )Cinnamonum verum

Clove Eugenol, Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory

( ) kaempferolEugenia caryophyllus

Ginger Gingerols Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory

( )Zingeiber officinale

Tomato ( Lycopene Antioxidant, HypocholesterolemicLycopersicon

)lycopersicum

Cumin seeds Essential oil Digestive stimulant

( )Cuminum cyminum

Coriander seeds Flavonoids Antidiabetic, antimicrobial

( )Coriander sativum

All that glitters are not gold is a well-known saying;

meaning that not everything that looks true turns out

to be so. This can apply to some of the unauthentic

herbal feed supplement for poultry as well, those that

promise to be more than they really are.

Herbal drugs have been used since the inception of

human beings on this planet and as a result are almost

as old as life itself. Plants by virtue of its composition of

containing multiple constituents developed during its

growth under various environmental stresses

providing a plethora of chemical families with

medicinal utility. One of the key factors that limit

commercial utility of herbal drugs is standardization.

Standardization poses numerous challenges related to

marker identification, active principle, lack of defined

regulations, and non-availability of universally

acceptable technical standards for testing and

implementation of quality control/safety standard

(toxicological testing).

Herbal medicines, containing active ingredients in

complex chemical mixtures developed as crude

fractions, extracted from plant thereof, are widely

used in health-care or as dietary supplements. One of

the major drawbacks of these medicines is limited bio-

availability. Standardization requires a natural plant

product to be authenticated at origin itself by

adoption of good agricultural practices, collection

strategies from wild and good manufacturing practices

for extraction modes and related parameters. The

present review focuses on the herbal constituents, its

role in the biological system & herbal standardization

guidelines that can be useful for development of

evidence based holistic natural plant products.

EDITORIAL

All that glitters is not gold

Dr. Gobinathgobinath@naturalremedy.com

Poultry Insights02

PUNJAB: Temperature management in the poultry house is an important pre-condition for

better production and health of the birds, according to a leading academic. With drop in

mercury level and change in weather, poultry farmers may have to face some challenges of

low environmental temperature, poor ventilation and decreased photoperiod.

Times of India reports that this information was shared by A.L. Saini, head of the

department, livestock production and management at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and

Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) in Ludhiana. He said that these seasonal

fluctuations may directly or indirectly influence the egg and meat production. Therefore,

farmer must be ready to take on these challenges by adopting some winter stress

alleviating practices to overcome economic losses, he added.

"Egg production has a tendency to slump down in winter because of reduced hours of

natural light. Since hens need 16 or more hours of day light to lay well to their potential,

therefore provision of consider switch on light bulbs in the laying hen sheds is must. This

will encourage hen to lay more number of eggs.

"To protect the birds from cold, gunny bags or plastic sheet curtains can be installed on the

side walls of shed. However, don't restrict ventilation in an attempt to conserve warmth.

Good ventilation in the chicken shed is must, because chickens naturally produce a lot of

moisture in their breath and droppings," he said. Dr Saini explained that poor ventilation

inside their house may create an ammonia build-up, which will affect the poultry's eyes

and respiratory system and makes them sick.

"Poultry need plenty of fresh air circulating in and around the poultry shed. So care should

be taken not to cover entire side wall but ensure sufficient open area towards the ceiling of

shed to facilitate escape of foul air. To provide warm and cozy environment, increase in the

depth of litter material (bedding) by six inch. Free access to balanced diet and fresh water

must be available to chickens of all age", A.L. Saini told the newspaper.

"Different age groups of poultry birds have unique requirements and abilities to bear cold

stress. However, day-old chicks are the most vulnerable and a temperature of 95°F during

the first week is must. Chicks chirping loudly, or huddling in groups, are most likely feel too

cold and need immediate attention and remedial measure. Try to feed them warm water

and place them under the brooders (heating device)," he advised.

Giving tips on winter stress alleviating management, Times of India reports A.L. Saini

advising that, before the arrival of chicks, the brooder room should be pre-heated for a day

to 95°F, curtains should be installed on the side wall of chicken houses without restricting

ventilation, the depth of litter material (bedding) should be increased and finally, a

minimum 'daylight' period of 16 hours should be provided for laying hens, using artificial

light, if necessary.

Indian Poultry FarmersAdvised to Prepare for Winter

Contd from page 1

Limitations of Phytochemical Feed supplements

Like any other branch of science and technology, present scenario of

herbal feed supplements has its own limitations arising out of its own

technical constituents. The prominent limitations of herbal medicines

can be summarized as follow

* Inadequate standardization and lack of quality specifications

This is the most often criticized aspect of herbal feed supplements.

One important fact is that a herbal preparation is administered for

its holistic value. Each herbal ingredient in the herbal preparation

has an array of chemical constituents with complex molecular

formulae. This each herbal preparation is a source of polypharmacy

within itself.

* Lack of scientific data

Lack of literature on herbal medicines & feed supplements &

scientific data in support of the medicinal activity claimed and

their safety and efficacy assumed. Hence there is a need to

incorporate certain parameters of the pharmacological evaluation

of moderns on modern lines. WHO guidelines clearly direct that it

is not necessary to carry out detailed toxicological evaluation of

herbs and herbal preparation originating from traditional system

medicine.

Poultry Insights 03

Remedies to overcome the limitation of Phytochemical feed

supplements

Standardization of phytochemical formulations is essential in order to access

the quality of drugs, based on the concentration of their active principles.

Quality evaluation of phytochemical preparation is a fundamental

requirement of industry & other organizations dealing with herbal products. It

is evident that the herbal industry needs to follow strict guidelines & such

regulations are necessary. According to WHO guidelines, an phytochemical

product needs to be standardized with respect to safety before releasing it

into the market.

WHO Guidelines forQualityStandardizedHerbalFormulations

* Quality control of crude drugs material, plant preparations and finished

products.

* Stability assessment and shelf life.

* Safety assessment; documentation of safety based on experience or

toxicological studies.

* Assessment of efficacy by ethno medical information and biological activity

evaluations.

The standardization of crude drug materials include the

following steps:

1. Authentication: Stage of collection, parts of the plant collected, regional

status, botanical identity like phytomorphology, microscopical and

histological analysis, taxonomical identity, etc.

2. Foreign matter: Herbs collected should be free from soil, insect parts or

animal excreta, etc.

3. Organoleptic evaluation: Sensory characters – taste, appearance, odor, feel

of the drug, etc.

4. Active Principle identification: Specific phytoconstituent present in the

drug powder.

5. Ash values and extractive values

6. Volatile matter

Fig. A schematic representation of herbal drug standardization

Qualitative

Quantitative

SEM Studies

Powder studies

Macroscopic Microscopic

BotanicalPhysical

Moisture Content

Extractive value

Ash value

Colour

Odour

Taste

Texture & Fracture

Standarization of herbal drugs Biological

ChemicalBiological

Microbial Contamination

Pharmacological Evaluation

Toxicological Studies

Chromatographic techniques

Heavy metal

Pesticidal residue

Mycotoxin

7. Moisture content determination

8. Chromatographic and spectroscopic

evaluation: TLC, HPTLC, HPLC methods will

provide qualitative and semi quantitative

information about the main active constituents

present in the crude drug as chemical markers in

the TLC fingerprint evaluation of herbals (FEH).

The quality of the drug can also be assessed on the

basis of the chromatographic fingerprint.

9. Determination of heavy metals: e.g. cadmium,

lead, arsenic, etc.

10. Pesticide residue: WHO and FAO (Food and

Agricultural Organization) set limits of pesticides,

which are usually present in the herbs. These

pesticides are mixed with the herbs during the

time of cultivation. Mainly pesticides like DDT,

BHC, toxaphene, aldrin cause serious side-effects

in human beings if the crude drugs are mixed with

these agents.

11.Microbial contamination: Usually medicinal

plants containing bacteria and molds are coming

from soil and atmosphere. Analysis of the limits of E. coli and molds clearly

throws light towards the harvesting and production practices. The substance

known as aflatoxins will produce serious side-effects if consumed along with

the crude drugs.

Limits for Microbial Contamination

Microorganism Finished product Raw materials

and 10 10E. coli Salmonella ¹ ⁴

Total aerobic bacteria 10 -⁵

Enterobacteria 10 -³

Aflatoxins should be completely removed/adsorbed or should not be present.

12. Radioactive contamination: Microbial growth in herbals is usually

avoided by irradiation. This process may sterilize the plant material but the

radioactivity hazard should be taken into account. The radioactivity of the

plant samples should be checked accordingly to the guidelines of

International Atomic Energy (IAE) in Vienna and that of WHO.

Standardization from raw material to crude drug preparation

(CDP)

Standardization of herbal drugs comprises total information and controls to

essentially guarantee consistent composition of all herbals including

analytical operations for identification, markers and assay of active

principles. There is no legal control model over medicinal plants. The herbal

formulations in general can be standardized schematically as to formulate

the medicament using raw materials collected from different localities and

a comparative chemical efficacy of different batches of formulation are to

be observed.

Standardization from CDP to finished goods

The preparations with better clinical efficacy are to be selected. After all the

routine physical, chemical and pharmacological parameters are to be

checked for all the batches to select the final finished product and to

validate the whole manufacturing process. Fingerprinting of herbal

medicines is utilized for the authenticity and quality control of herbal

medicinesand herbal preparations.

Chemical fingerprints of finished goods (QC)

Chemical fingerprints obtained by chromato-graphic, spectroscopic,

thermogravimetric analysis, capillary electrophoresis and polarography

techniques have become the most potent tools for quality control of

traditional herbal medicines. Moreover, all herbal products manufacturers

must follow WHO guidelines for quality control. Further, the combination of

qualitative fingerprinting and quantitive multicomponent analysis is a novel

and rational method to address the key issues of quality control of herbal

medicines.

Conclusion

The advancement of analytical techniques will serve as a rapid and

specific tool in the herbal research, thereby, allowing the manufacturers

to set quality standards and specifications so as to seek marketing

approval from regulatory authorities for therapeutic efficacy, safety and

shelf life of herbal drugs. The applications of high-technology oriented

advanced hyphenated techniques will serve as a rapid and unambiguous

tool in the herbal research, thereby, benefiting the entire pharmaceutical

industry.HPTLC

Leading the

PHYTOCHEMICAL ERA...

Leading the

PHYTOCHEMICAL ERA...

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