{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,5]],"date-time":"2025-07-05T04:04:08Z","timestamp":1751688248163,"version":"3.41.0"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,4]],"date-time":"2025-07-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1751587200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title><jats:p>Immunosuppression in poultry production, particularly in high-value species like the Chinese yellow quail (Coturnix japonica), increases disease susceptibility and economic losses. Plant-derived polysaccharides, such as those from <jats:italic>Terminalia chebula<\/jats:italic> Retz (TC) and <jats:italic>Rubia cordifolia<\/jats:italic> L. processed Terminalia chebula Retz polysaccharide (RTCP), offer promising alternatives due to their ability to enhance host defense mechanisms without adverse effects. This study investigates RTCP\u2019s efficacy in mitigating cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunosuppression in quails, focusing on immune function restoration.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>One hundred and twenty 21-day-old healthy quails were randomly divided into six groups (n=20\/group): a blank control (saline), a model group (saline + CTX), and four RTCP-treated groups (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1 g\/kg + CTX). CTX (80 mg\/kg) was administered intramuscularly (days 4\u20137) to induce immunosuppression, except in the blank control. Spleen indices, histology, cytokine profiles, antibody titers, GATA-3\/T-bet mRNA expression, and transcriptional networks were analyzed.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>CTX significantly reduced spleen weight, organ indices, cytokine levels, and antibody titers (P&amp;lt;0.05). Compared to the model group, 0.5 g\/kg RTCP restored spleen morphology and function, elevated cytokines (e.g., IL-2, IFN-\u03b3) and immunoglobulins, and upregulated complement components (C3, C5) and acute-phase proteins, enhancing T-cell and B-cell activation (P&amp;lt;0.05). RTCP also rebalanced the Th1\/Th2 axis by normalizing the T-bet\/GATA-3 ratio, indicating immune homeostasis recovery.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title><jats:p>RTCP effectively counteracted CTX-induced immunosuppression by modulating innate and adaptive immunity, including complement activation and Th1\/Th2 balance. These findings highlight RTCP\u2019s potential as a natural immunomodulator in poultry. Further research should optimize dosing and explore gut-microbiota-immune interactions to enhance therapeutic applications.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fcimb.2025.1620053","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,4]],"date-time":"2025-07-04T05:27:01Z","timestamp":1751606821000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Impact of Terminalia chebula Retz polysaccharide and Rubia cordifolia L. processed Terminalia chebula Retz polysaccharides on cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in Chinese yellow quail"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Jing","family":"Wang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tiejin","family":"Tong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Qiang","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Min","family":"He","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"144","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2567.2003.01569.x","article-title":"Haptoglobin directly affects T cells and suppresses T helper cell type 2 cytokine release","volume":"108","author":"Arredouani","year":"2003","journal-title":"Immunology."},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2024.1382639","article-title":"Mulberry leaf polysaccharide improves cyclophosphamide-induced growth inhibition and intestinal damage in chicks by modulating intestinal flora, enhancing immune regulation and antioxidant capacity","volume":"15","author":"Cheng","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front. 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