Depending on how this Asteraceae family member is classified, there are up to 12 different species of Echinacea. The most commonly used species for medicinal purposes is Echinacea purpurea, which is easy to cultivate and therefore, product demand does not put a stress on native populations of Echinacea species that are difficult to cultivate. Most preparations found in the market are derived fr...

The introduction of plants is an important task modern botanical science. Relevance significantly increased when introduced species are multifunctional in use. According to our research, these criteria met by representatives the genus Echinacea (Echinacea Moench.), which for most part, previously positioned only as medicinal plants.

BACKGROUND Echinacea preparations are widely used to treat the common cold. OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy of dried, encapsulated, whole-plant echinacea as early treatment for the common cold. DESIGN Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled community-based trial. SETTING University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin. PARTICIPANTS 148 registered students with common colds of ...

Aim: This study aims to investigate the possible effects of aqueous Echinacea (E. Purpurea, whole plant) extract on Adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity in cancerous and non-cancerous human gastric and colon tissues. Materials and Methods: Thirty three cancerous and 33 non-cancerous human gastric tissues, and 25 cancerous and non-cancerous human colon tissues removed by surgical operations were s...

INTRODUCTION Respiratory tract infections are common, and these infections occur frequently in children, susceptible adults, and older persons. The risk for recurrences and complications relates not only to the presence of viruses but also to immune function. Therefore, modulation of the immune system and antiviral interventions such as echinacea might reduce the risk of recurrences and possibl...

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...

Background: The efficacy of echinacea products to treat upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) has been shown in some studies, however, there are few studies considering the efficacy of echinacea to prevent URTI. Therefore this study aimed to assess the effect of echinacea in the prevention of URTI in these children. Materiala and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conduc...

The process of angiogenesis and control of blood vessels sprouting are fundamental to human health, as they play key roles in many physiological and pathological conditions. Intake of different pharmaceuticals with antiangiogenic activity by pregnant women may lead to severe developmental disturbances as it was described in case of thalidomide. It may also cause immunomodulatory effects as it w...

Alcohol tinctures prepared from aged Echinacea roots are typically taken for preventing or treating upper respiratory infections, as they are purported to stimulate immunity in this context. The effects of long-term (> 1 year) dry storage on the capabilities of Echinacea spp. roots from mature individuals to modulate cytokine production are unknown. Using an older human adult model of influenza...

Echinacea has gained considerable attention because of its increasing economic value and use as a medicinal plant. The genus Echinacea, Asteraceae, is represented by eleven taxa found in the United States and in south central Canada. Echinacea purpurea is the most widespread species (McGregor 1968) and the most widely cultivated medicinal species of the genus (McKeown 1999). Echinacea species h...