DrugInfoSys

Echinacea purpurea

Echinacea purpurea

Echinacea purpurea belongs to Compositae/Asteraceae family.

The English names for this herb are Black sampson, Cock up hat, Comb flower, Indian head, Kansas snakeroot, Missouri snakeroot, Purple coneflower, Red sunflower.

Warning: It is essentially nontoxic when taken orally. The most common adverse reactionin adults is allergic reactions in peoplesensitive to plants belonging to the daisy family. Other side effects include possibleactivation of autoimmune disorders such asmultiple sclerosis and collagen disease. Prolonged use of the agent (more than 8 weeks) is not recommended and may causeimmune suppression or liver problems.

Description

Echinacea purpurea. Clump forming herbaceous perennial that dies to the ground in winter and sprouts back in spring. Established clumps can be up to 3 ft (0.6 m) in diameter and just as tall. The dark green leaves are coarse and sandpapery, usually lance shaped, and 3-8 in (7.6-20.3 cm) long. It blooms in summer.

Echinacea purpurea's Flower. Purple coneflower is a showy. The daisylike flower heads, up to 3 in (7.5 cm) across, are very attractive with rose purple rays and large, cone-shaped purple brown centers. Several cultivars are available to the gardener, including some with white ray flowers.

Pharmacological Actions

The pharmacological actions of Echinacea purpurea are Alterative, Anti-bacterial, Anti-fungal, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-septic, Astringent, Carminative, Depurative, Diaphoretic, Digestive Tonic, Immunostimulant, Sialagogue, Stimulant, Vulnerary.

The pharmacological action of Echinacea purpurea's Root is Immunostimulant.

Indications

Contraindications

None recorded.

Temperament

None recorded.

Occurrence, Taste & Odor

None recorded.

Dosage

PartDoseInstructions
Extract3.000 – 4.000 ml/dayThrice a day.
Herb (Powder)900.000 – 0.000 mgN/A

Available Brands

None recorded.

Compound Preparations

No Compound Preparation information is available for Echinacea purpurea.

Substitutes

No information regarding Echinacea purpurea's substitute is currently available.

Active Constituents

The active constituents of Echinacea purpurea are Alkamides, Betaine, Caffeicacid derivatives, Echinaceine, Echinacoside, Essential Oil, Flavonoids, Glycoproteins, Glycosides, Isobutylmines, Linoleic, Mucopolycaccharides, Phenolics, Polyacetylene, Polysaccharides, Sesquiterenes, Volatile Oil.

Antidotes

No information regarding Echinacea purpurea's antidote is currently available.

Toxicity

Echinacea purpurea

No observed toxicity. Side effects are rare. Persons with kidney disorders should restrict usage to 10 days of intake due to possible imbalance in excreted minerals. After 4 weeks of oral administration in doses amounting to many times the human therapeutic dose laboratory tests and necropsy findings gave no evidence of any toxic effects in rats. Tests for mutagenicity carried out in microorganisms and mammalian cells in vitro and in mice all gave negative results. In an in vitro carcinogenicity study Echinacea purpurea did not produce malignant transformation in hamster embryo cells.