TN institute releases 110 varieties of herbs for livestock, poultry

CHENNAI: Through the research held on herbal medicine, the Veterinary College and Research Institute (VCRI) in Orathanadu, Thanjavur, has revealed 110 varieties of medicinal plants for livestock and poultry.

For this, herbal gardens were established for 18 acres across 4 centres in Tamil Nadu. Under the Ethno Veterinary Herbal Product Research and Development Centre (EVHP R&D), the institute began researching herbal medicines from 2017 at the cost of Rs 13 crore.

The research was focused on bringing out many herbal medicines to cut down on antibiotics and other drugs given to livestock. Herbal gardens are established for 18 acres for conservation, propagation and cultivation of over 110 varieties of medicinal plants in different Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) premises.

The premises are: VCRI (12 acres), PG Research Institute for Animal Sciences, Kattupakkam (2 acres), Sheep Breeding Research Station, Sandynallah, Utagamandalam (2 acres) and Pulikulam Cattle Research Station, Manamadurai (2 acres). “Importantly, the cultivated medicinal plants are being used for product development,” said Prof V Ranganathan, HoD-Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, VCRI.

The institute has documented 40 herbal recipes from traditional healers for R&D of herbal products for livestock and poultry. And training programmes were also conducted on ethno veterinary practices for 240 TANUVAS faculties, 1,600 field veterinarians in 38 districts and for 3,000 farmers.

Speaking to DT Next, Ranganathan said, “Testing of herbal products such as herbal deworm bolus (A), veterinary herbal de-worm bolus (B), herbal immune bolus, ectoparasiticide spray, wound healing oil, anti-fungal spray, nano emulgel formulation for mastitis, anti-stress bolus, liver tonic, deworming syrup, herbal de-odouriser for pets and infertility formulation are in progress.”

Additionally, Ranganathan said that the laboratory animal house, ethno veterinary training facility, interactive voice response facility (IVRS) and product manufacturing facility have been created for commercial use. “The IVRS facility can provide first aid information for important diseases in livestock and poultry on 24x7 mode. Farmers can get benefit with IVRS to address primary health care of their livestock and poultry,” he added.