Parasitic control strategies: Bioactive crops and nutrition

Parasitism is among the main issues responsible for subnormal milk and meat production from various livestock species. The livestock sector is facing serious challenges, with a more clean, green and ethical (CGE) centred approach being promoted for the industry. The main theme for this newly promoted approach is to ensure high-yield outputs from the sector with less use of synthetic chemicals (drugs, hormones, etc.) and minimal impact on the climate system. In this context, essential oils - one of the key factors in bioactive plants - have been studied extensively in recent years for their use as an alternative to drugs. The primary purpose of using these plants is to prevent or treat parasitic diseases in livestock. These plant-based chemicals have shown significant antimicrobial activity as well as a potential positive influence on the animal gut microbiome, promoting the synthesis of several amino acids in the host animal. This chapter explores the effective use of various bioactive forages to control parasites with a special emphasis on immuno-nutrition.