The PLOS One Editors published an Expression of Concern on August 5, 2026 regarding the article by Li et al., titled “Protection of LPS-induced intestinal injury in goslings by polysaccharide of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz based on 16S rRNA and metabolomics analysis.” The original research article was published in PLoS One in 2025 (20[6]:e0326164) and is indexed with pmid:40532039; its DOI is 10.1371/journal.pone.0326164. The Expression of Concern is available as an open-access PLOS notice (DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0355346).
The PLOS notice identifies the original paper and explicitly states that concerns were raised after publication. The title of the affected article indicates it reported on protection against LPS-induced intestinal injury in goslings using a polysaccharide of Atractylodes macrocephala and used 16S rRNA sequencing and metabolomics analysis as part of its approach.
The Expression of Concern lists two primary issues prompting the notice. First, it reports that two works cited within the Li et al. article — specifically References 23 and 44 — were retracted after the Li et al. article had been published. Second, the editors state they have concerns regarding the article’s compliance with the PLOS Authorship policy. The notice does not provide further procedural or investigative details beyond these points.
The PLOS One Editors reported that References 23 and 44, as cited in the Li et al. article, were retracted following the publication of the Li et al. paper. The Expression of Concern identifies the retractions as a factor in raising concerns about the published article, but it does not specify the titles, authors, or reasons for the retracted works in the notice itself.
No additional data on how the retracted references were used within the Li et al. study or whether their retraction affects particular findings, analyses, or conclusions in the Li et al. article are provided in the Expression of Concern.
The editors explicitly note concerns about the article’s compliance with the PLOS Authorship policy. The notice does not detail the nature of those concerns, which authors are involved, or whether an authorship dispute, undisclosed contributions, or other authorship-related issues are alleged. The Expression of Concern states that the editors have these concerns but offers no further specifics or outcomes of any review at the time of the notice.
In light of the combination of retracted cited references and the stated authorship policy concerns, the PLOS One Editors issued the Expression of Concern. The notice advises readers to interpret the Li et al. article with caution. This formal editorial action serves to alert the scientific community to unresolved issues related to the article while no further corrective action (such as correction or retraction) is described in the Expression of Concern itself.
The notice is presented under the authority of the PLOS One Editors and is titled and cited as an Expression of Concern for the named article.
The Expression of Concern is published by The PLOS One Editors (2026) and is cited as: PLoS One 21(8): e0355346. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0355346. The notice states it was published August 5, 2026 and is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License. The Expression of Concern includes a reference to the original article: Li W, Lu B, Pan S, Bai S, He J, Li B, et al. Protection of LPS-induced intestinal injury in goslings by polysaccharide of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz based on 16S rRNA and metabolomics analysis. PLoS One. 2025;20(6):e0326164. pmid:40532039.
No further investigational findings, timelines for resolution, or corrective actions were reported in the Expression of Concern. Readers seeking more detail are referred to the PLOS One notice and the linked original article page for potential updates or subsequent editorial actions.