Purple Coneflower

Echinacea purpurea

Echinacea angustifolia

Echinacea pallida

Presented by: Henry Tran, Paul St. Romain, & Margaret Wells

Names of Echinacea Family: Asteraceae Genus: Echinacea Greek origin: echinos = sea urchin or hedgehog Perennial Plant; 1-2ft. Tall, spiny appearance AKA: American Coneflower, Black Sampson, Comb Flower, Echinacea

angustifolia, Echinacea pallida, Echinacea purpurea, Indian Head, Purple Coneflower, Rudbeckia, Sampson Head, Scurvy Root, Snakeroot, Helichroa (Rafinesque)

Original genus name = Rudbeckia 1794 Conrad Moench used Echinacea , but not adopted by the

scientific community until circa 1848

History of Echinacea Found in the U.S. & Canada Home: Great Plains Region (from Texas into Canada and from the

Rocky Mountains into Kentucky) Other States/Regions: CO, IL, IA, KS, KY, LA, MN, MO, MT, NE,

NM, ND, OK, SD, TX, WY; Canada (AB, MB,SK) Used by Native Americans (i.e. Blackfoot, Lakota, Choctaw,

Delaware, Cheyenne, Comanche, Sioux & Dakota) E. purpurea, E. angustifolia, and E. pallida Blackfoot & Lakota used E. angustifolia as toothache remedy

(isobutylamides found in root which creates numbing sensation)

Historical Uses E. purpurea used by Choctaw as cough medicine and as G.I. aid Delaware for venereal disease; Comanche use for sore throat &

toothache E. pallida used by western tribes (Cheyenne used it for antirheumatic, cold

remedy, & as dermatological aid; Decoction of the root as vermifuge & eye medicine; Sioux use for analgesic properties & for snake bites)

Used for a wide variety of conditions (18th,19th, early 20th by American Settlers for infections and inflammation)

First Written Record in 1762; Flora Virginica (John Clayton) Eclectic Physicians first to realize therapeutic benefits of

E. purpurea “Red Sunflower” in Dispensatory of Eclectic Physcians in

1852; recommended use for patients with syphilis Eclectic Physicians and Topical Wound Healing (1950’s)

Introduction to Euro-American Society

Dr. H.C. F. Meyer sent J.Lloyd (Lloyd Brothers Pharmaceuticals) & Dr. J. King sample of root

“Meyers Blood Purifier” in 1885 1886 E. angustifolia arrives for Lloyd & King Lloyd sets out to negate claims via pharmaceutical tests Favorable results 1887 King statement in The Eclectic Medical Journal “…

should it be found to contain only one-half the virtues he (H.C. F. Meyer) attributes to it, it will form an important addition to our materia medica.”

Lloyd Pharmaceuticals; multiple products (creams, liquids & mouth

wash); Fermentation & Echafolta

Historical Uses Con’t. In 1910, decline in U.S. use began due to 3 reasons First = A. Flexner comparison study of allopathic vs.

faltering botanico-medical education Second = Direct results of antibiotics vs. general

immune response of Eichinacea species Third major reason = Hostility among practitioners Patentable antibiotics 1916-1947 E. angustifolia & E. pallida root & rhizome

recognized by the U.S. National Formulary (NF) 1910 only 47% of USP was based on medicinal plant

drugs

German Research & Commission E

German equivalent to our FDA 1920’s Gerhard Madaus; 1930’s to present extensive German

research (peaked in 80’s)

Research done on common communicable diseases & immune response

Two varieties approved (E. Purpurea & E. Pallida, but not roots)

Believed that E. Angustifolia is stronger (problem = no official clinical data to support claim)

PDR for Herbal Medicines states multiple uses (used as treatment for common colds, bronchitis, UTI’s, mouth & pharynx inflammation, wounds, burns & weak I.S.)

Active Components

Polysaccharides 4-0-methylglucuronoarabinoxylan Rhamnoarabinogalactin

Polyacetylenes

Alkylamides (echinaceine)

Parts Used & Administration

Parts of plant that are used: aboveground roots, rhizome & leaves

In U.S. used as tea, squeezed (expressed) juice (alcohol and/or glycerin

based), capsules (herbal powder for URI), tincture (gargling &

swallowing), topically, & as an injection (not recommended in U.S.)

In Germany many times administered intravenously along with traditional medical treatments

Dosage, type of administration, & duration of treatment vary in patient care

Present Day & Future Hopes

U.S. research peaked again in 1990’s to present DSHEA act & active research (NCCAM) Journal: Economic Medicinal Plant Research (through 1991; 360 studies on

Echinacea)

Extremely Popular & Profitable Some studies show it does help I.S., “septic” conditions, &

increases hyaluronic acid when topically applied Echinacin ointment for inflammatory skin diseases Need more clinical trials & dosage specifications Hope of proving effectiveness on immune system

Research

Common Cold Cancer prevention

The Cold

What is it?SymptomsDuration

http://www.kennislink.nl/upload/115174_962_1091519871529-rhinovirus.jpg

Infection

Inhaled particlesCold virus attachment

Infected

Incubation period: 8-12 hoursPeak of symptoms: 36-72 hours

Neat facts about colds

Infection rateBeing cold?Feed a cold, starve a feverChildren

Research – Echinacea & the Common cold

Is it effective?Is it worth it?Is it toxic?

Efficacy

Positive results Reduced symptoms

and duration

Negative results Not useful for

prevention

Why contradictory research?

Hard to quantitatively measure symptoms

Psychological effects varyMany different types of cold virusesPreparations are not standardizedMeta analysis

Value

Significantly important difference – is treatment worth it based on cost, effect and duration of infection?

Echinacea: 2nd to Vitamin C – people thought it would be worth it if it reduced colds by 36.8 hours

Zinc and prescription in 60 to 90 hour range

Reactions & Toxicity Could negatively affect patients with progressive systemic

diseases & autoimmune disorders (i.e. tuberculosis, lupus & connective

tissues disorders, HIV/AIDS), pregnant women & children under two years of age

Patients with asthma & atopy (genetic tendency to have allergic reactions) are more susceptible

According to NCCAM website; rare allergic reactions found to be rashes, increased asthma and anaphylaxis

Allergic reaction possible if person is allergic to plants in daisy family (i.e. ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds & daisies)

Gastrointestinal side effect most common in studies

Mode of Action

Bioactive substances capable of stimulating innate immunity. What is the innate immune response?

Nonspecific

Type Mechanism

Chemical Mediators Interfeurons induce anti-viral state in uninfected cells Complement lyses facilitates phagocytosis Toll-like receptors recognize microbial molecules; signal

secretion of immunostimulatory cytokines

Phagocytic Barriers Various cells endocytose and break down foreign molecules Specialized leucocytes digest and kill microorganisms

Inflammatory Barriers Infection induces leakage of vascular fluid and influx of phagocytes into infected issue

Macrophages stimulated to release cytokines and chemokines that initiate inflammatory response

• Cytokines cause dilation of local small blood vessels and changes in endothelial cells

• Lead to movement of leukocytes (neutrophils and monocytes) from to blood vessels into the infected tissue

• Leucocytes are guided by chemokines produced by macrophages • Blood vessels become more permeable, allowing plasma proteins and fluid to

leak into the tissues

Mode of Action cont.

Immune response ascribed to polyssacharides

Study: Incubation of human macrophages with purified polysaccharide:

Increased the motility of granulocytes and their cytotoxic activity against staphylococci

Stimulated proliferation of human lymphocytes Induced production of TNF-a, IL-1, and IL-6

Figure 8-22

Purified polysaccharides from E. purpurea induced macrophage production of IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-

Mode of Action, cont.

Evidence supporting polysaccharide function of extract:

Augmented the phagocytosis of yeast particles or opsonized zymosan by human granulocytes by 23% and 34%

Intravenous treatment of mice: Mice injected with lethal doses of Candida albicans and Listeria

monocytogenes Treatment significantly increased survival rate of both healthy

and immunosuppressed mice.

Mode of Action, cont.

Akylamides from Echinacea: Modulate TNF- mRNA expression in human

monocytes and macrophages via the CB2 cannabinoid receptor

Bind to CB2 more strongly than endogenous cannabinoids

Dodeca-2E,4E,8Z,10Z-tetrenoic acid isobutylamide (A1) Docea-2E,4E-dienoic acid isobutylamide (A2)

Mode of Action, cont.

Anti-inflammatory effects

Lipoxygenase (LOX) and cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibition

Polysaccharide fraction known to inhibit the action of the enzyme hyaluronidase

Echinacoside provides protective effect against free radical induced degradation of collagen

Summary

Echinacea appears to activate non-specific cellular and humoral immunity and the complement system by increasing the production and activity of: Leukocytes

Granulocytes Lymphocytes Monocytes

Cytokines

Bibliography1. Echinacea. 2006 [cited 2006 04/23/06]; A database summarizing the research on various supplements.

Part of the site is member only.]. Available from: http://supplementwatch.com/suplib/supplement.asp?DocId=1101&templateId=100.

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7. Flannery, M.A. 1999. From Rudbeckia to Echinacea: The Emergence of the Purple Cone Flower in Modern Therapeutics, Pharmacy in History, Vol. 41 (2):52-58

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10. Jack M. Gwaltney, M., Frederick G. Hayden, MD Common Cold. 1999-2005 [cited 2006 04/23/06]; General information over the common cold drawn from over 70 medical resources]. Available from: http://www.commoncold.org/index.htm.

11. Kim, L.S., R.F. Waters, and P.M. Burkholder, Immunological activity of larch arabinogalactan and Echinacea: a preliminary, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Altern Med Rev, 2002. 7(2): p. 138-49.

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Database Syst Rev, 2006(1): p. CD000530.14. Raduner, S., et al., Alkylamides from Echinacea are a new class of

cannabinomimetics - CB2-receptor dependent and independent immunomodulatory effects. J Biol Chem, 2006.

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