SPAGYRIC HERBALISM

Traditional herb offers new hope for antibiotic-free pig farming

Maximum Academic Press

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Multifaceted biological functions of Houttuynia cordata extract in swine health and production.

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Credit: Animal Diseases

Houttuynia cordata extract, a traditional medicinal plant-derived product, is emerging as a potential alternative to antibiotics in pig production. The extract demonstrates broad antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-regulating effects, helping pigs fight bacterial and viral infections while improving gut integrity, growth, and reproductive performance. Rich in bioactive flavonoids such as quercetin and hyperoside, it reduces oxidative stress, suppresses inflammatory pathways, enhances intestinal barrier function, and reinforces immune response. Its multifunctionality suggests that this natural compound may help reduce antibiotic dependence in livestock systems and contribute to safer and more sustainable pig farming practices.

Overuse of antibiotics in livestock has accelerated antimicrobial resistance, threatening animal productivity, food safety, and global public health. Drug residues and resistant pathogens further raise concerns along the food chain. As regulatory restrictions tighten, the livestock industry urgently requires effective bio-based health interventions. Traditional medicinal plants have long served as natural remedies for infection and inflammation, and Houttuynia cordata has gained attention for its potent activity against both pathogens and oxidative damage. Based on these challenges, exploring plant-derived antimicrobial alternatives for pig production has become increasingly necessary.

A research team from Wuhan University of Bioengineering and Huazhong Agricultural University, together with collaborators, published (DOI: 10.1186/s44149-025-00203-9) a new review in Animal Diseases on January 2025, highlighting that Houttuynia cordata extract could serve as a multifunctional natural substitute for antibiotics in swine production. The study summarizes accumulating evidence that plant-derived flavonoids, volatile oils, and polysaccharides suppress pathogens including Salmonella, PRRSV, and Streptococcus suis, while simultaneously reducing inflammation and oxidative stress to support healthy growth in pigs.

The extract's efficacy stems from multiple synergistic mechanisms. Bioactive flavonoids—particularly quercetin, hyperoside, and rutin—exhibit strong antioxidant capacity by scavenging reactive oxygen species and activating Nrf2-mediated defense pathways. These compounds inhibit inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6 and NO by blocking TLR4/NF-κB and MAPK signaling. Meanwhile, volatile components including 2-undecanone demonstrate antimicrobial activity and protect tissues from oxidative injury.

In vitro and animal studies show that H. cordata extract suppresses Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and antibiotic-resistant MRSA. It also inhibits major swine viruses: quercetin blocks PRRSV and pseudorabies virus entry by binding viral proteins, and quercetin-7-rhamnoside reduces PEDV replication at extremely low concentrations.

For production performance, dietary supplementation improves intestinal barrier integrity, increases tight-junction proteins, alleviates weaning and transport stress, and enhances nutrient absorption. Trials further indicate reductions in fecal E. coli and improvement in growth metrics. Evidence also points to potential benefits in reproductive health through oxidative stress reduction, though dosage and long-term reproductive impacts require further evaluation.

“The multifunctional nature of Houttuynia cordata gives it unique potential as a natural feed additive,” the authors noted. “Its combined antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and immune-supporting actions provide systemic protection rather than targeting a single pathogen. This makes it a promising candidate for reducing antibiotic use in swine farming. However, optimal dosages, safety profiles, and reproductive impacts must be clearly established before large-scale adoption.”

The findings highlight Houttuynia cordata extract as a strong contender for antibiotic substitution in modern pig farms. By improving gut health, enhancing antioxidant capacity and lowering infection risk, the extract may reduce medical costs, prevent growth loss during stress periods, and support more sustainable animal husbandry. Its plant-derived properties also align with consumer demand for safer meat products and reduced antimicrobial resistance. Future work should include clinical validation, formulation optimization and combined use with probiotics or vaccination strategies for industry-ready application.

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References

DOI

10.1186/s44149-025-00203-9

Original Source URL

https://doi.org/10.1186/s44149-025-00203-9

Funding information

This study was underpinned by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 32472981, 32172808), the Wuhan University of Bioengineering High-level Talent Research Start-up Fund (2024KQ03), and the open funds of the State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology (AMLKF202512).

About Animal Diseases

Animal Diseases (ISSN 2731-0442, CN 42-1946/S) is a peer-reviewed, free open access academic journal sponsored by Huazhong Agricultural University. The journal promotes the One Health initiative and is committed to publishing high-quality innovated and prospective works in animal disease research/application that are closely related to human health. The founding chief editors are Drs. Huanchun Chen (Huazhong Agricultural University, China) and Zhen F. Fu (University of Georgia, USA). It has been indexed by ESCI in 2024.

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Journal

Animal Diseases

DOI

10.1186/s44149-025-00203-9 

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Houttuynia cordata Thunb. extract in pig production: a multifaceted alternative to antibiotics with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and health-promoting properties

 

Forest biomass becomes surprise carbon hero—if industry can cut costs and scale up

Chemicals and long-lived timber could deliver up to 750 Gt CO₂ removal by 2050

Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts

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In the first quantitative roadmap covering the entire forest-biomass value chain, researchers show that integrating selective harvesting, residue valorisation and advanced catalytic refining could raise carbon-use efficiency above 85 % and generate an annual mitigation wedge of 2.2 Gt CO₂—comparable to eliminating global aviation emissions twice over. The study, published today in Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, pinpoints lignin recalcitrance and volatile bio-chemical prices as the twin barriers preventing the sector from moving from pilot glory to gigatonne scale, and calls for an international “carbon-smart biorefinery” programme modelled on semiconductor R&D alliances.

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Credit: Key Laboratory of Songliao Aquatic Environment, Ministry of Education, Jilin Jianzhu University, Changchun 130118

The next time you buy a wooden table or burn a wood pellet, you may unwittingly be part of the largest untapped carbon-removal experiment on Earth. A data-rich review released 31 December in Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts argues that forest biological resources—everything from sawdust to resin—could offset up to 750 gigatonnes of CO₂ by mid-century if processing efficiency rises and green premiums fall.
Drawing on 200 peer-reviewed studies and FAO trade statistics, the paper tracks carbon from nursery to nail. Photosynthesis already pulls roughly 20 t CO₂ per hectare from the atmosphere in fast-growing poplar plantations; the trick is keeping that carbon locked in society rather than returning it via slash burning or short-lived paper towels. The authors calculate that engineered beams can store carbon for 50–100 years, biochar for centuries, while bioethanol distilled from logging slash offers a 74 % lifecycle GHG cut versus gasoline.
Yet the economic maths is brutal. Lignocellulose-to-ethanol plants yield only 40–55 % of theoretical output, and advanced bio-based chemicals sell for 1.3–3.0 times the price of their petro-counterparts. “We are paying Porsche prices for a technology that still behaves like a hand-built car,” said lead author Yingying Xu.
The review sketches a two-stage escape route. By 2030, hybrid organosolv-steam explosion pretreatments and two-step catalysis could push furfural and ethanol yields above 70 % while trimming capital costs 25 %. Longer term, AI-driven biorefineries that co-produce aviation fuel, lignin-based graphene and renewable natural gas could turn wood into a “dynamic carbon-regulation asset” whose output flexes with real-time grid intensity and carbon prices.
Geography matters. North America and Europe together control 54 % of global industrial round-wood but face saturated paper markets; Asia, led by China, already imports 8 % of world supply and could become the test-bed for residue-based refining. Finland’s national heating network gets 39 % of its energy from wood pellets, proving district-scale viability, while China’s 9-million-hectare afforestation reserve could anchor a 170-million-tonne bioproduct stream under selective-logging rules.
Policy, however, remains fragmented. Only 30 % of countries apply uniform carbon-accounting rules for harvested wood products, and subsidy schemes oscillate with oil prices. The paper urges governments to embed forest biorefineries in upcoming carbon-trading clauses, offer reverse auctions for negative emissions, and standardise life-cycle metrics so that a tonne of CO₂ removed in Sweden can be compared with one stored in a Canadian 2×4.
Without such moves, the climate opportunity is “a warehouse full of timber with no buyer,” the authors warn. Scale up the technology, stabilise demand, and forests could supply one-third of the cumulative CO₂ removals needed for 1.5 °C—while keeping the planet both housed and heated.

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Journal

Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts

DOI

10.1016/j.jobab.2026.100231 

Method of Research

Literature review

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Challenges and Prospects of Forest Biological Resource Transformation under the Dual-Carbon Policy Framework

Article Publication Date

7-Jan-2026

Diabetes costs the global economy trillions

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

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Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder and one of the most prevalent non-communicable diseases worldwide. On average, one in ten adults is affected. The number of people living with diabetes continues to rise, posing an increasing challenge for healthcare systems and entire economies. A new study reveals the global and national economic costs of diabetes and offers strategies to reduce them.

A research team including experts from IIASA and the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Vienna) has calculated the economic impact of diabetes across 204 countries from 2020 to 2050. The findings are striking: Excluding informal care provided by family members, global costs amount to approximately US$ 10 trillion – equivalent to 0.2% of the annual global GDP. When informal care is factored in, costs soar to as much as US$ 152 trillion, or 1.7% of GDP. This is particularly significant for diseases like diabetes.

“Caregivers often drop out of the labor market, at least partially, which creates additional economic costs,” explains WU economist Klaus Prettner, one of the study authors.

The high share of informal caregiving, ranging between 85% and 90% of the total economic burden, is explained by the fact that prevalence exceeds mortality by a factor of 30-50. Although diabetes is more common in lower-income countries, the United States bears the highest absolute costs, followed by China and India.

”To some extent, these rankings reflect the size of the economies included in our analysis in terms of GDP and population, but it is interesting to note that at 0.5% the Czech Republic has the highest burden as a percentage of GDP, followed by the United States and Germany at 0.4%. Ireland, Monaco, and Bermuda face the largest per capita economic burdens at $18,000, $12,000, and $8,000 dollars respectively,” notes coauthor Michael Kuhn, Acting Economic Frontiers Research Group Leader at IIASA.  

One prime distinction between high- and low-income countries is the distribution of the burden across the treatment cost and lost labor channels, where the former makes up 41% of the economic burden (net of caregiving) for high-income countries as opposed to 14% for low-income countries.

“This is a stark illustration of how medical treatment regimes for chronic diseases such as diabetes are accessible to high income countries only,” Kuhn adds.   

Role of COVID-19
Diabetes has proved to be one of the main risk factors for mortality from COVID-19. In a side analysis the authors explored how the economic burden of diabetes has been affected when factoring in morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 that can be attributed to diabetes. The effects are sizeable, where the economic burden increases from 0.16% to 0.22% per unit of GDP for China, from 0.4% to 0.65% per unit of GDP for the US, and from 0.4% to 0.45% per unit of GDP for Germany.  

“Previous estimates of diabetes-related costs were often based on overly simplified assumptions and tended to ignore economic dynamics,” says Prettner. “This study’s innovative approach incorporates labor market effects, such as work absences due to caregiving responsibilities. It also recognizes that healthcare spending does not necessarily reduce economic output but often represents a shift from consumer spending toward health sector spending.”

Urgent need for policy action
When compared to other diseases over the same period, such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, or cancer, the economic impact of diabetes is enormous. The authors emphasize that the most effective way to prevent diabetes and reduce its economic impact lies in promoting healthier lifestyles. Regular physical activity combined with a balanced diet can significantly lower the risk of developing the disease.

In addition, early detection plays a crucial role: comprehensive diabetes screening programs for the entire population, along with rapid diagnosis and timely treatment for individuals showing symptoms or risk factors, are essential steps toward mitigating both health and economic consequences.

“Such steps are particularly relevant for low-income countries, where high levels of underdiagnosis and its role in raising mortality from infectious diseases render diabetes a severe risk factor for the stability of health care systems,” Kuhn concludes.

Reference
Chen, S., Cao, Z., Chen, W., Zhao, J., Jiao, L., Prettner, K., Kuhn, M., Pan, A., Bärnighausen, T.W., Bloom, D.E. (2025). The global macroeconomic burden of diabetes mellitus. Nature Medicine DOI: 10.1038/s41591-025-04027-5

 

About IIASA:
The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is an international scientific institute that conducts research into the critical issues of global environmental, economic, technological, and social change that we face in the twenty-first century. Our findings provide valuable options to policymakers to shape the future of our changing world. IIASA is independent and funded by prestigious research funding agencies in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. www.iiasa.ac.at

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Journal

Nature Medicine

DOI

10.1038/s41591-025-04027-5 

Article Title

The global macroeconomic burden of diabetes mellitus

New theory suggests we could increase useful energy obtained from sunlight

Trinity College Dublin

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Prof. Paul Eastham and Luisa Toledo Tude.

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Credit: Trinity College Dublin

Physicists from Trinity College Dublin believe new insights into the behaviour of light may offer a new means of solving one of science’s oldest challenges – how to turn heat into useful energy. 

Their theoretical leap forwards, which will now be tested in the lab, could influence the development of specialised devices that would ultimately increase the amount of energy we can capture from sunlight (and lamps and LEDs) and then repurpose to perform useful tasks.

The work, supported by funding from Research Ireland, has just been published in the international journal, Physical Review A. 

When photons (particles of light) are trapped in microscopic optical devices, they can undergo a form of condensation, where they behave collectively rather than as independent particles. In practice this concentrates light energy into a small, intense beam of a single very pure colour, similar to the output of a laser. 

This phenomenon has been seen in experiments, but only when the energy input is already in the concentrated form provided by a laser. Now though, thanks to the new theoretical analysis, the physicists think it can be achieved using input energy in a diffused form, like that readily provided by sunlight, lamps, or LEDs.

Paul Eastham, Naughton Associate Professor, School of Physics, Trinity, is the senior author of the study. He said: “We modelled the behaviour of devices which trap light in a small region of space and found that this behaviour is related to the general properties of heat engines: machines that convert disorganised energy, which us physicists call ‘heat’, into a useful form, which we call ‘work’.”

“In this way, the same laws that limit steam engines and power plants determine whether photons condense or not. Beyond the conceptual appeal of this work, we believe it could influence the development of optical devices which rely on channelling the flow of light energy at the quantum level, from solar cells to microscopic engines powered by radiation.”

Luísa Toledo Tude, School of Physics, Trinity, first author of the research, added: “The primary goal of such optical devices would be to produce ‘useful’ energy, which would come out as laser-like light. In relative terms this is easy to convert to other forms, and any applications would involve doing that. For example, it might be possible to combine such a device with solar cells to increase the amount of electrical energy they capture from sunlight.” 

“Because the next step is to test the theory in a lab setting we must be cautious not to over-speculate at this point, but of course it is exciting to think this work may one day help us increase the amount of useful energy we can capture from light sources and then put to work to power the millions of things we need it for.”

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Journal

Physical Review A

DOI

10.1103/6lyv-trfj