Ferulic acid in animal feeding: Mechanisms of action, productive benefits, and future perspectives in meat production

The livestock sector's major challenge is to meet the growing demand for foods of animal origin without compromising animal welfare and human health. In this effort to produce more efficiently and ethically, researchers have currently been focused on the study of phytochemicals with nutraceutical properties in order to improve meat production. Ferulic acid (FA) is a phenolic compound that is attracting special interest in the livestock sector due to its multiple benefits associated with its antioxidant, cytoprotective, antimicrobial, and anabolic properties. The activation of these mechanisms stimulates and/or favors physiological and metabolic processes, and consequently, farm animals' growth and reproduction. Thus, FA ingestion could improve feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality, as well as gonad-gamete activity. However, the information available is controversial. Therefore, this review aimed to summarize current information about the mechanisms of action of FA and its benefits on productive and reproductive aspects, highlighting new possible applications of this phytochemical in the meat production chain.