Therapeutic Potential of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Animal Reproduction: A Comprehensive Review

Animal reproductive efficiency underpins food security, yet conventional management relies on hormones and antibiotics, raising concerns over residues and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers a multi-target alternative, but a critical synthesis linking its mechanisms to species-specific veterinary application is lacking. This review systematically evaluates the therapeutic potential of TCM in animal reproduction and identifies translational barriers. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) up to October 2025. Fifteen key medicinal plants were classified into tonifying, blood-activating and heat-clearing categories, with bioactive compounds, target tissues and signalling pathways summarized in structured tables. TCM compounds converge on conserved regulatory networks-including PI3K/Akt, Nrf2/HO-1, NF-κB and AMPK/SIRT1-modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, mitigating oxidative and inflammatory stress and improving reproductive organ function across species. Although these mechanisms are conserved, dosage must be empirically re-determined per target species due to differences in digestive physiology. Persistent challenges include standardization, scarcity of large-scale clinical trials and absence of regulatory frameworks. We propose an integrative roadmap combining multi-omics, drug delivery and species-relevant trials to support TCM's sustainable application within a One Health framework.