{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T07:57:46Z","timestamp":1790668666650,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790640000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790640000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Veterinary Medicine & Sci"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,11]]},"abstract":"ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n \n Objectives<\/jats:title>\n \n The combination of high\u2010altitude and heat stress promotes oxidative damage and immune dysfunction in broiler chickens. This study investigated the potential of dietary\u00a0\n Echinacea purpurea<\/jats:italic>\n \u00a0to mitigate these detrimental effects.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n \n In a 42\u2010day trial, 108 one\u2010day\u2010old male Ross 308 broilers were randomly assigned to one of three dietary regimens: an unsupplemented basal diet (Control), or the basal diet supplemented with 0.25% (E0.25) or 0.75% (E0.75) hydroalcoholic\u00a0\n E. purpurea<\/jats:italic>\n \u00a0extract.\u00a0Birds were reared at 2100 m altitude and exposed to chronic heat stress. On Day 42, serum was analysed for nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Hepatic relative telomere length was quantified via qPCR, and the expression of cytokine genes (IL10, IL1\u03b2, TNF\u03b1 and IFN\u03b3) was assessed by RT\u2010qPCR.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n Dietary\u00a0\n E. purpurea<\/jats:italic>\n \u00a0at both levels significantly lowered serum NO and MDA concentrations compared to the control group (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u00a0< 0.05).\u00a0Relative telomere length was unaffected by treatment.\u00a0Gene expression analysis revealed that the E0.75 group had significantly elevated transcripts of IL\u201010 (900% increase) and IFN\u2010\u03b3 (351% increase), while IL\u20101\u03b2 and TNF\u2010\u03b1 remained unchanged.\u00a0Consequently, the composite pro\u2010\/anti\u2010inflammatory cytokine ratio [(IFN\u03b3 + IL\u20101\u03b2 + TNF\u03b1)\/IL\u201010] was reduced in both supplemented groups (\n P<\/jats:italic>\n \u00a0< 0.05).\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n \n Supplementation with\u00a0\n E. purpurea<\/jats:italic>\n \u00a0alleviated systemic oxidative stress and induced a distinct immunomodulatory response, upregulating key cytokines IL\u201010 and IFN\u2010\u03b3 in broilers under dual environmental stress. Telomere length in liver tissue was not preserved under these conditions.\u00a0These results indicate that\u00a0\n E. purpurea<\/jats:italic>\n \u00a0is a promising phytogenic feed additive for enhancing broiler resilience in challenging environments.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1002\/vms3.71234","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T07:39:09Z","timestamp":1790667549000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Dietary\n Echinacea purpurea<\/i>\n Attenuates Oxidative Stress and Alters Cytokine Gene Expression Among Heat\u2010Stressed Broiler Chickens at High Altitude"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5897-8509","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shahab","family":"Bahadoran","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Shahrekord University Shahrekord Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shadi","family":"Vaeznia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Shahrekord University Shahrekord Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hossein","family":"Hassanpour","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Basic Sciences Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Shahrekord University Shahrekord Iran"},{"name":"Health Equity Research Center Shahed University Tehran Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_12_2_1","first-page":"113","volume-title":"Modern Technology and Traditional Husbandry of Broiler Farming","author":"Acheampong S.","year":"2024"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"947","DOI":"10.3390\/antibiotics13100947","article-title":"Phytochemistry, Mechanisms, and Preclinical Studies of Echinacea Extracts in Modulating Immune Responses to Bacterial and Viral Infections: A Comprehensive Review","volume":"13","author":"Ahmadi F.","year":"2024","journal-title":"Antibiotics"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psj.2025.105157","article-title":"Effect of L\u2010Carnitine and Emulsifier on Growth Performance, Lipid Profile, Lipogenesis, and Oxidative Stress of Broiler Chickens Raised at High Altitude","volume":"104","author":"Ahmadipour B.","year":"2025","journal-title":"Poultry Science"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"141","DOI":"10.14202\/vetworld.2025.141-154","article-title":"Phytogenic Feed Additives as Alternatives to Antibiotics in Poultry Production: A Review","volume":"18","author":"Aminullah N.","year":"2025","journal-title":"Veterinary World"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107","DOI":"10.3390\/poultry3020010","article-title":"Impact of Heat Stress on Broiler Chicken Production","volume":"3","author":"Apalowo O. O.","year":"2024","journal-title":"Poultry"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"471","DOI":"10.3390\/antiox14040471","article-title":"Major Oxidative and Antioxidant Mechanisms During Heat Stress\u2010Induced Oxidative Stress in Chickens","volume":"14","author":"Aryal B.","year":"2025","journal-title":"Antioxidants"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psj.2024.104392","article-title":"The Effect of Using Echinacea Extract as an Immune System Stimulant and Antioxidant on Blood Indicators, Growth Efficiency, and Carcass Characteristics in Broiler Chickens to Produce a Healthy Product","volume":"104","author":"Ashour E. A.","year":"2025","journal-title":"Poultry Science"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"597","DOI":"10.1201\/9780367813499-24","volume-title":"Nutrition in Exercise and Sport","author":"Askew E. 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