Echinaceaspp L. (Fam. Asteraceae) is often called purive coloration and daisy-like floral structure. The floral arrangement is a composite of both ray and disk flowers, characterized by rich purple-to-pink elongated (ray flower) petals attached to the peripheral circumference of the flower head, which surround orange-brown florets (disk flowers) that are seated in a spiral arrangement on a centrally located cone-like structure. Echinacea is a tall, hardy, perennial wildflower, indigenous to North America, and holds historical significance for its use as a medicinal plant by Native Americans. The root preparation of Echinacea was used internally for treating coughs, stomach upset, and easing the pain of sore throat and toothache. For external purposes, it was valued for treating wounds and snakebite and as a cure for rabies. Echinacea was introduced to Western medicine in the 1890s and was recommended for skin problems, respiratory tract infections,... See full list on Echinacea is one of the well-studied herbal medicines today. Three species of Echinacea are used in phytomedicine products: Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, and Echinacea pallida. The constituents of Echinaceapreparations vary, depending on the specific species and the part of the plant used. Echinacea purpurea is one of the most important and well-known plants in the world. It is also the most widely cultivated medicinal plant species, which has been used as a preventive for infectious diseases in both upper and lower respiratory systems.8,9 The complex chemical composition of aerial and root parts of Echinacea purpurea involves caffeic acid duding cichoric acid (1.2%-3.1% flowers), alkamides (0.001%-0.4%), water-soluble polysaccharides (arabinoxylan and arabinogalactan), and flavonoids of quercetin and kaempferol (0.48%). The root of Echinacea purpureadiffers in its constituents from the aerial plant parts by containing polyacetylene de... See full list on The immunostimulant activity of Echinacea purpurea is a result of its combined effect of several chemical constituents and is caused by 3 mechanisms: phagocytosis activation, fibroblast stimulation, and the enhancement of respiratory activity that results in augmentation of leukocyte mobility.10 There are several in vivo studies on the immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects of Echinacea purpurea that indicate that innate immunity is enhanced through the administration of the plant actives and that the immune system is strengthened against pathogenic infections through activation of macrophages, neutrophils, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and natural killer cells.11 Furthermore, research indicates that the pharmacologically active alkylamides are particularly involved in the immunomodulatory effect. The mechanism of action is known to occur when the alkylamides bind specifically to the CB2 receptor, an endocannabinoid receptor located on immune cells. This binding results in t... See full list on Jawad M, Schoop R, Suter A, Klein P, Eccles R. Safety and efficacy profile of Echinacea purpurea to prevent common cold episodes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial [published online ahead of print September 16, 2012]. Evid Based Complement Altern Med. doi:10.1155/2012/841315. See full list on The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety parameters of Echinacea purpurea during long-term treatment. This study was designed to examine the efficacy profile with predefined, primary variables of efficacy and with a suitable sample size based on power calculations.7 This research study represented the largest trial to date to assess the safety and efficacy of Echinaceaextract for the prevention of common cold episodes. See full list on This study was a randomized, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled clinical trial that was conducted at the Common Cold Center in Cardiff University in the United Kingdom over a 4-month period. The study participants (N = 755) were healthy male and female adults (>=18 years of age), who experienced 2 or morusion criteria. Subjects were randomized to receive either Echinaceaor placebo. At the initial intake visit, participants received either the test material or placebo medication for a 1-month period of treatment and a journal for documenting podence and severity of cold-related symptoms, and the use of any concurrent pharmaceutical medication. During each month's follow-up visit, participants returned unused treatment material, along with completed journal records to access compliance and were issued a new month's supply of treatment material and a new journal. In addition, subjects were provided with nasal s... See full list on A tuded and randomized into either the Echinacea group or the placebo treatment group. Of these, 82 subjects discontinued the trial prematurely, with a remaining population of 673 test subjects who completed the study. There were no baseline differences between the treatment groups, with the exception that participants who were randomized to the Echinacea group were inadvertently more susceptible to colds, as measured by the number of colds previously experienced. The participants in the placebo group were significantly less susceptible to cold infections than those in the Echinacea test group (P < .05). There were a total of 293 adverse events that occurred with Echinacea and 306 with the placebo treatment. There were no severe adverse events observed with the Echinacea group however, there was 1 severe adverse event involving glandular fever that occurred with a placebo group participant who required hospitalization. Approximately 64% of particip... See full list on The research study in this review represents the largest clinical trial to date that evaluated the safety and efficacy of Echinacea purpurea for prophylactic treatment of the common cold, in addition to investigating its risk-benefit in a long-term treatment period. The clinical application of the proprietary-standardized Echinacea purpurea extract (Echinaforce) demonstrated efficacy as a preventive cold treatment option over a 4-month duration. This study showed that Echinacea's long-term prevention was associated with a reduction in the total number of cold episodes, a reduction in the number of days with colds, and a reduction in cold episodes requiring additional medication. Furthermore, the Echinacea test agent inhibited virally confirmed colds, exhibited maximal effects on recurrent infections, and demonstrateeased relative to therapy compliance and adherence to the protocol. In summary, Echinacea purpurea when taken as recommended for the pre... 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