Harnessing Phytobiotics for Gut Protection: A Comprehensive Review on the Role of Cangzhu (Atractylodes lancea) in Sustainable Animal Husbandry

The global transition to antibiotic-free livestock production, accelerated by antimicrobial-resistance concerns, has intensified the search for alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters, and phytobiotics have emerged as key candidates. Cangzhu, the dried rhizome of Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC, is a crude drug of traditional Chinese medicine that has attracted substantial attention as a multipurpose phytobiotic. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the phytochemistry, gut-protective mechanisms, and practical application of Cangzhu in sustainable livestock production. Its principal bioactive constituents are sesquiterpenoids (atractylone, β-eudesmol, hinesol, atractylenolides I–III), polyacetylenes (including atractylodin), polysaccharides, and flavonoids. Reported gut-protective mechanisms comprise upregulation of tight junction proteins (ZO-1, occludin, claudin-1); dual suppression of the NF-κB and MAPK-signaling pathways; activation of the Nrf2–Keap1 antioxidant axis; modulation of the gut microbiota; and TLR4-mediated stimulation of mucosal immunity. In swine, poultry, and ruminant studies, Atractylodes-based supplementation has been associated with improved growth performance, a lower incidence of diarrhea, favorable intestinal morphology, downregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6), beneficial microbiota shifts, and inhibited pathogens. However, much of the mechanistic evidence derives from rodent and in vitro models, and much of the in vivo livestock evidence from the related species A. macrocephala (Baizhu) or multi-herb formulations; direct livestock trials with pure A. lancea remain limited for several endpoints, and the responses observed in these heterogeneous studies depend on the formulation, dose, and animal species used, as indicated by the explicit evidence-tier and source-species tags applied throughout the text, tables, and figures. The reported effective inclusion levels should be read as experimental study ranges and not as standardized dose recommendations. Framed within the One Health paradigm, Cangzhu is therefore best characterized as a mechanistically substantiated candidate alternative to antibiotic growth promoters whose adoption requires species-specific dose validation, quality standardization, and commercial-scale economic confirmation.