Curcumin (CUR) is a kind of natural orange-yellow phenolic compound mainly extracted from the stems and roots of turmeric plants and other species in the genus Curcuma, furthermore, it is also the most important active ingredient exerting pharmacological functions in turmeric. In recent years, CUR has been frequently reported and has attracted widespread attention from scholars all over the world due to its numerous biological functions and good application prospects, such as anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antioxidant and providing lipid-lowering effects, etc. In addition, adding a certain dose of CUR to livestock and poultry feed is important for animal growth and development, which plays a key role in animal metabolism, reproduction, immunity and clinical health care. This review aims to summarize, based on the published papers and our own observations, the physical and chemical properties and the biological functions of the plant-derived bioactive ingredient CUR, especially regarding the latest research progress in regulating intestinal health as well as its current development and future application prospects in livestock and poultry as a novel feed additive, so as to provide theoretical and practical references for the further study of the application of CUR as a novel feed additive and a potential new antibiotic substitute, thereby improving the research field of plant-derived bioactive ingredients and promoting the healthy development of livestock and poultry.
Keywords: Curcumin; application potential; biological functions; feed additive; livestock and poultry.