Study links Echinacea polysaccharide to gut, immune gains in chickens

A newly published poultry nutrition study suggests Echinacea purpurea polysaccharide could have practical value as a feed additive in local chicken production systems. Writing in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, investigators reported that dietary EPP supplementation improved antioxidant status, intestinal immune markers, gut structure, and cecal microbiota composition in Mahuang chickens, with the best results generally seen at 400 to 800 mg/kg. The paper was published on August 26, 2026. (frontiersin.org)

The work lands in a familiar industry context: poultry nutrition teams are still under pressure to support performance and intestinal resilience while reducing reliance on antibiotic growth promoters. The authors explicitly frame EPP as part of that search for safer, plant-derived alternatives with lower risk of resistance selection. That positioning is consistent with broader reviews in poultry nutrition, which describe phytogenic additives as tools for modulating gut health, oxidative balance, and microbial ecology, though not as one-to-one replacements for antibiotics in every production setting. (frontiersin.org)

In the trial, researchers assigned 180 one-day-old Mahuang chicks to six groups: a basal diet control, a 0.1 g/kg levamisole hydrochloride group, and four EPP groups at 100, 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg for 42 days. According to the paper, EPP improved body weight gain by day 21, enhanced villus height and villus-height-to-crypt-depth ratios across the small intestine, and reduced crypt depth at days 21 and 42. It also increased superoxide dismutase and total antioxidant capacity, boosted IgM and secretory IgA, and upregulated intestinal barrier-related genes. Microbiota analysis found a higher Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio and increased relative abundance of several genera associated with gut stability and fermentation, alongside a reduction in Streptococcus. The authors said serum biochemical indices and organ indices were not significantly affected. (frontiersin.org)

This isn’t the first signal for Echinacea-derived polysaccharides in poultry. A recent broiler study indexed in PubMed and PMC similarly reported improved immune function, antioxidant capacity, nutrient metabolism, and microbiota regulation with Echinacea purpurea polysaccharides. Earlier Frontiers work also linked Echinacea-based interventions with immunomodulatory effects in broilers. At the same time, not all Echinacea research has shown production benefits: a separate poultry study summarized by European Poultry Science concluded that E. purpurea was not beneficial for broiler or layer performance and was not suitable as a replacement for an antibiotic feed additive. That split matters, because outcomes likely depend on the specific preparation, dose, bird type, and production environment. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Direct outside expert reaction to this specific paper was limited at the time of writing, but the broader industry view is cautious rather than dismissive. Trade coverage and technical commentary on antibiotic-free poultry production have repeatedly emphasized that no single additive is likely to replace antibiotics on its own, and that efficacy depends on formulation, ingredient interactions, and flock management. That perspective fits this study well: EPP looks promising as one component of a gut-health strategy, but not yet as a stand-alone answer. (feedstuffs.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals advising poultry operations, the study is most useful as an evidence point in favor of targeted phytogenic or polysaccharide supplementation, especially where gut integrity, oxidative stress, and mucosal immunity are limiting performance. The microbiota findings are also notable, because they connect production metrics with intestinal ecology rather than treating growth response as a black box. But the paper doesn’t answer several practice-level questions: cost per ton of feed, consistency under commercial disease pressure, effects in conventional broilers versus local breeds, compatibility with other additives, and whether benefits persist across feed ingredients and housing systems. Those are the issues that typically determine adoption. (frontiersin.org)

There’s also a regulatory and product-development angle. The study presents EPP as a potential alternative to synthetic immunostimulants, but publication alone doesn’t establish regulatory approval, manufacturing consistency, or field-ready claims. For veterinarians and nutritionists, standardization will be critical: plant-derived products can vary substantially by extraction method, active fraction, and inclusion rate, and those variables often explain why promising academic results don’t always translate cleanly into commercial programs. That’s an inference based on the wider feed-additive landscape, rather than a claim made directly by the authors. (frontiersin.org)

What to watch: The next signals to watch are commercial-scale replication studies, head-to-head comparisons with other phytogenic or polysaccharide additives, and any movement toward standardized EPP formulations that can support practical feeding recommendations in poultry medicine. (frontiersin.org)