Abstract: Echinacea is one of the most popular natural plants,which has multiple biological activities such as anti-inflammation,antioxidation and bacteriostasis.As a kind of natural medicine with strong immune activity and safety,Echinacea and its extract have become the research hotspot for scientists in different fields.Several groups of pharmacologically active compounds have been isolated from Echinacea,such as polysaccharides,glycoproteins, alkylamides and caffeic acid derivatives,etc.A large number of studies have demonstrated that they may exert their effects through multiple signaling pathways,such as the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK),c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK),etc.,to exert immunomodulatory effects.Additionally,they may also exert antioxidant effects through nuclear factor E2-related factor 2-Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Nrf2-Keap1),nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB),and others.In recent years,under the background of the increasing demand for natural raw materials,Echinacea and its extract also have a good application prospect in animal breeding.Based on animal experiments,Echinacea and its extract to a certain extent have been shown to promote animal growth,alleviate oxidative stress,improve reproductive performance,regulate immune response,enhance disease resistance and minimize the transmission risk,thereby ensuring animal health and optimizing production benefit.This natural farming way meets the needs of modern consumers for safe and healthy food,and also provides a viable option for the sustainable development of livestock and poultry farming.The authors reviewed the main chemical components,their biological activity and the mechanism of action,as well as the application status of Echinacea and its extract in livestock,poultry,and aquaculture,in order to provide theoretical reference for standardizing the extraction of active components of Echinacea,exploring the action mechanism of Echinacea and its extract in animal production,and further broadening its application in livestock,poultry and aquaculture.

Key words: Echinacea; alkylamides; caffeic acid derivatives; NF-κB/MAPK/TLR4 signaling pathway