BACKGROUND With a traditional medical use for treatment of various ailments, herbal preparations of Echinacea are now popularly used to improve immune responses. One likely mode of action is that alkamides from Echinacea bind to cannabinoid type 2 (CB2) receptors and induce a transient increase in intracellular Ca2+. Here, we show that unidentified compounds from Echinacea purpurea induce cytos...

While radiation hazards, due to free radical generation, present an enormous challenge for biological and medical safety, Echinacea purpurea is a potent scavenger of a variety of free radicals. The aim of this study was to investigate the radioprotective effect of Echinacea purpurea against oxidative stress in spleen tissues and alterations in some immune responses. Rats were whole body irradia...

The Effect of Hormone Seed Priming Using Gibberellic Acid on Germination Characteristics and Seedling Growth Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Common symptoms of upper respiratory infections, such as sore throat, cough, and inflammation, are often caused by bacteria, sometimes as a complication of virus infection. Extracts of Echinacea purpurea (Asteraceae) have been advocated traditionally for use by individuals suffering from these symptoms, although the underlying basis for the beneficial effects of Echinacea is not known. We hypot...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine whether Echinacea purpurea given to children for the treatment of acute upper respiratory tract infection (URI) was effective in reducing the risk of subsequent URI. DESIGN This was a secondary analysis of data from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Echinacea for the treatment of URI in children. SETTING The study was co...

Aging is a multifactorial process that leads to loss of function and the inability to adequately respond to external stress. There has been a global trend toward the use of natural phytochemicals present in natural sources as antioxidants and functional foods. The herb, Echinacea, is one of the most popular herbal medicines and has become one of the top-selling herbs of all time with billions o...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the safety and efficacy of 2 extracts of echinacea for preventing upper respiratory tract infections. DESIGN Three-armed, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING Four military institutions and 1 industrial plant. PARTICIPANTS Three hundred two volunteers without acute illness at time of enrollment. INTERVENTIONS Ethanolic extract from Echinac...

Extrapolations from pharmacological research have led some authors to suggest restrictions or contraindications for the use of Echinacea. This article examines the known chemistry and pharmacology of the various Echinacea species and products, and challenges some of these popular concepts. In particular, the hypotheses that Echinacea is a T cell activator and that it will accelerate pathology i...

The effect of dietary Echinacea purpurea on performance, viremia, and ontogeny of the humoral antibody response against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection was evaluated in weaned pigs. In three replicates, 120 weaned pigs (25 +/- 1 d of age; 8.46 +/- 0.48 kg of BW) from a PRRSV-naive herd were allotted randomly to one of eight pens (diets) in two separate room...

Echinacea is one of the top ten selling medicinal herbs in Europe and United States. Commercially available formulations may contain different plant parts of three species (Echinacea purpurea, E. pallida, and E. angustifolia). Our study evaluates the diversity of microbial community associated with healthy E. purpurea clones and their ability to produce defense compounds. We recovered and ident...