The experiment was conducted on two groups of Black-and-White cows (10 animals per group) during the perinatal period. Cows in the experimental group received a ration with 300 g/d/animal of whole-plant Echinacea purpurea meal for 3 weeks from the 10^th day before the expected calving. Whole Echinacea meal contained 1.26% of a biologically active substance – coffeic acid. Milk samples were collected three times a day to determine somatic celi count, and colostrum for determination of the lactoimmunoglobulin (α, β) level. Blood samples from calves and cows were collected to determine the immunoglobulin (α, β, γ) content. Statistically significant differences (P ≤ 0.01) were found only in the content of γ-immunoglobulins in cows from the experimental group after three weeks of Echinacea administration. Differences in somatic celi count between the groups in successive samplings of milk were not significant (P > 0.05).