ECHINACEA PURPUREA TO BOAST THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

The Use Of Echinacea Purpurea To Boast The Immune System and Prevent Infections Like Colds And Flu

Abstract

Influenza infection is a major clinical problem and Echinacea purpurea, a widely consumed botanical product, is purported to alter the course of respiratory infections including influenza. Mice infected with WSN influenza A and treated with E. purpurea polysaccharide extract had less weight loss than untreated mice but similar pulmonary viral titers. Echinacea -treated mice had lower systemic and pulmonary KC and IL-10 levels and lower systemic IFN-? levels following influenza infection. These suggest that E. purpurea alters the clinical course of influenza infection in mice through modulation of cytokines and not direct antiviral activity.

Table of Contents

The Use Of Echinacea Purpurea To Boast The Immune System and Prevent Infections Like Colds And Flu5

What is Echinacea?5

Traditional uses - the history of Echinancea7

Modern day claims about Echinacea - Bioactive Ingredients8

Potential Mechanisms - short terms evidence14

Experiments - examples on measures of immune function18

Mice18

Infection19

Clinical monitoring19

Echinacea19

Echinacea preparation19

Echinacea administration20

Cytokine analyses20

Statistics21

Weight analyses21

Viral titers21

Cytokine profile21

Results22

Echinacea -treated mice had better clinical outcomes than untreated mice after influenza infection22

Echinacea treatment did not alter lung viral titers24

Echinacea -treated mice had lower KC, IFN?, and IL-10 cytokines than untreated mice24

Clinical trials - data critical review34

Formulations, active constituents, and mechanisms of action35

Adverse reactions/interactions36

Systematic reviews of meta-analyses37

Recommendations44

Conclusion47

References49

The Use Of Echinacea Purpurea To Boast The Immune System and Prevent Infections Like Colds And Flu

What is Echinacea?

Echinacea is a plant group that has fascinated me since my first year in Arkansas back in 1980. When May came around, then in my remote home in Izard County, Arkansas, so did a brilliant roadside display of beautiful purple-colored blooms of Echinacea. That spring, I met a young botanist, the late Richard Davis. (Madan 2009) Richard had come to Izard and neighboring Stone counties in north central Arkansas in search of a rare species of Echinacea, the yellow-flowered Ozark endemic, Echinacea paradoxa. We found it growing in a healthy population. It was the first time it has been collected in Arkansas in twenty years. My friend, Richard, died of cancer at an early age. When I see Echinacea paradoxa growing I always think of him. He sparked my continuing curiosity to learn more about this fascinating plant group. (Puhlman 1991)

Three species of echinacea are used medicinally. Each is purported to have different medicinal properties; however, little has been done to compare the effectiveness of each species. The composition of each species of herb is similar, with slight variations in the amount of each active component. Variation between and among the herb species also exists due to geographical location, stage of development, time of harvest, and growth conditions. (Shahangian 2009) The roots, the leaves, or the whole plant may be used in the dietary supplement preparation. The composition of the root when compared with the upper plant is very different. Root parts have more volatile oils and pyrrolizidene alkaloids, such as tussilagine and isotussilagine, than the above-ground parts. The active components of the upper plant are thought to ...