The Efficacy of Using Astragalus Polysaccharide in Enhancing Immune Function of Poultry: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis

Traditional Chinese medicine has attracted the attention of researchers worldwide according to its positive impact on human and animal health, as well as its potential in immune regulation, prevention and treatment of various diseases (Dhama et al., 2018). Its main active components are polysaccharides, organic acid glycosides and flavonoids. According to existing literature, polysaccharides have great potential in enhancing cellular immunity, promoting antibody production and promoting cytokine secretion (Qiu et al., 2007). Astragalus membranaceus (AM) is a plant in the Leguminosae family that has long been utilized as a well-known traditional Chinese medicine and functional food (Jia et al., 2012). Astragalus Polysaccharide (APS) is the most abundant compound extracted from Astragali Radix, the dry root of Astragalus membranaceus. Although a growing body of research has reported APS as a potentially effective immune enhancer for poultry, results have been varying. The main obstacle to reaching a comprehensive conclusion is that there are variances in the preparation process, feeding method, and levels of feeding of APS among different studies (Farag & Alagawany, 2019). Overall, the use and effectiveness of APS in poultry appear to be quite complex. To our knowledge, no published research has systematically investigated all studies using APS. To gain a better understanding of the effectiveness of using APS in enhancing immune function, it is necessary to systematically evaluate the use of APS in poultry and compare its effectiveness as an immune enhancer in different situations.