Dietary supplementation with Echinacea and development of immunity to challenge infection with coccidia.

An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of dietary supplementation with 0.1% and 0.5% ground root preparations of Echinacea purpurea (EP; common name: purple cone flower) on the development of immunity following live vaccination and subsequent challenge with multiple coccidia species in an experimental model using a commercial live vaccine preparation. Effects of immunization and EP supplementation on weight gains before challenge, and weight gains, lesion scores and plasma levels of carotenoids and NO2-+NO3- following challenge were determined. In this experiment, combined live vaccination and feed supplementation with 0.1% or 0.5% EP during the first 2 weeks of life provided significant weight gain advantage compared to live vaccination alone. This advantage persisted through 2 weeks of EP withdrawal and subsequent challenge infection. EP supplementation also significantly lowered total lesion scores but did not significantly modify the effects of vaccination and challenge on plasma carotenoids or NO2-+NO3-.