Echinacea, native to the Canadian prairies and the prairie states of the United States, has a long tradition as a folk medicine for the Native Americans. Currently, Echinacea are among the top 10 selling herbal medicines in the U.S. and Europe, due to increasing popularity for the treatment of common cold and ability to stimulate the immune system. However, the genetic relationship within the s...

Background Dodeca-2E,4E,8E,10E/Z-tetraenoic acid isobutylamides are the main alkamides in Echinacea preparations, which have been demonstrated to possess biological activities in various bio-assays, such as immune-modulating activities and effects on cannabinoid receptors [1]. Therefore, the evaluation of systemic availability of these active plant constituents is a major prerequisite for the i...

objective(s) there are some reports that the teratogenic effects of cyclophosphamide (cpa) can be prevented by application of antioxidant drugs and stimulation of the maternal immune system. echinacea purpurea extract is antioxidative and immunomodulator drug. mesna (sodium 2-mercaptoethane sulfonate) is used for decreasing side effects of cpa, especially hemorrhagic cystitis. in this study, we...

Commercial Oregano oils with high concentrations of carvacrol have been vigorously promoted as antiviral agents effective against colds and ‘flu, including the pandemic H1N1 virus. However there seems to be no evidence to support these claims. Furthermore, since carvacrol itself is known to be toxic, so-called “carrier oils”, such as olive oil, have been included in formulations to ameliorate t...

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 aim of this open-label, fixed-sequence study was to investigate the potential of the botanical supplement Echinacea purpurea to interact with etravirine, a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor of HIV. Fifteen HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy with etravirine (400 mg once daily) for at least 4 weeks were included. E. purpurea root/extract-containing capsules wer...

We announce here the draft genome sequence of Pseudomonas sp. strain EpS/L25, isolated from the stem/leaves of the medicinal plant Echinacea purpurea This genome will allow for comparative genomics in order to identify genes associated with the production of bioactive compounds and antibiotic resistance.

Echinacea (E.) purpurea herb is commonly known as the purple coneflower, red sunflower and rudbeckia. In this paper, we report the curative efficacy of an Echinacea extract in gamma-irradiated mice. E. purpurea was given to male mice that were divided into five groups (control, treated, irradiated, treated before irradiation & treated after irradiation) at a dose of 30 mg/kg body weight for 2 w...