Effects Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench) extract on the yield and some immunological and blood biochemical parameters in broilers

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench extract and its usage schedule on the immune system, biochemical parameters, and growth yield of male broilers. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three treatments and four replications. The treatments included 1: without purple coneflower extract (control), 2: daily usage, and 3: every-other-day usage of purple coneflower extract (1.5 ml of the extract per liter of water). Records of the broilers body weight, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio were investigated in the starter, grower and finisher nutritional stages. The blood biochemical parameters (glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein,  albumin, and total protein), bronchitis virus titer, heterophile-to-lymphocyte ratio, and immune organs weight were determined at the end of the experiment (42-day-old age). The results showed that the yield characteristics, heterophile-to-lymphocyte ratio, and immune organs weight did not differ significantly between the experimental groups. The highest bronchitis virus titer was observed in the daily extract usage treatment (p < 0.05). The blood glucose level in the daily extract usage treatment was lower than the control (p < 0.05), but the other blood biochemical parameters did not differ significantly between the experimental treatments. The results of the present study revealed that the daily usage of purple coneflower extract (1.5 ml of the extract per liter of water) could decrease the blood glucose level and increase the bronchitis virus titer.