Echinacea is the name of a genus of...

Echinacea is the name of a genus of plants native to midwestern North America, commonly known as the purple coneflower. Echinacea preparations are derived from three of the nine species: Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, and Echinacea pallida. The most numerous commonly used preparation in this fatherland is a liquid extract made from the origin of E. purpurea. Echinacea is sold in subordination to a wide variety of trade names.

Medicinal use of this herb began with Native Americans, who used E angustifolia to treat health vexed questions ranging from respiratory infections to snakebites. During the 19th centenary echinacea was used as a life-blood purifier and a treatment for dizziness. In the early 20th hundred it was used as a chilly and flu remedy, and as an anti-infective until the advent of recent antibiotics. Its recent resurgence as a treatment for upper respiratory infections (URIs) has placed echinacea among the three top-selling herbs in the United States. (1)

Pharmacology

Echinacea is widely promot for its ability to "boost" the immune system; however, data to support this claim are inconclusive. A number of in vitro and animal studies have shown that echinacea appears to increase immunologic activity through increasing levels of interferon and may increase phagocytosis, cellular respiratory activity, and lymphocyte activation [i]or[/i] part of to the other release of tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1, and interferon beta-2. (2) The active component parts believed to be responsible for this immune-stimulating general intent are the high-molecular-weight polysaccharides of the like kind as heteroxylan and arabinoglactan. However, because the active constituting has not been identified, commercial echinacea produces are not typically standardized to any particular component

Uses and Efficacy

The research literature forward echinacea is difficult to evaluate because of the heterogeneity of the cropss used in the studies. Because a certain quantity of studies have examined combinations of echinacea species using differing parts of the various plants, and others have expected at echinacea combined with other herbs, it is difficult to attribute efficacy to any single of the constituents.

UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTION: PREVENTION

Echinacea is widely used as a prophylactic treatment for URIs. ends of two double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trials showed that none of the echinacea preparations taken as prophylaxis had a significant impact forward the frequency, severity, or duration of URIs. (34) [Reference 3 and 4--Evidence on a level B, lower quality randomized controll trials (RCTs)] A systematic review of four studies confirmed the lack of general intent of echinacea in preventing URIs. (5) [Evidence plain B, systematic review of lower quality RCTs] However, methodologic questions remain, including the possibility that sample sizes have been too small to discover a modest positive prophylactic force of one or more of the echinacea preparations.

UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTION: TREATMENT

generally received data supporting the use of echinacea as treatment for URI are limited because of the heterogeneity of preparations studied and the poor methodologic quality of many of the studies. Thus, the data preclud a quantitative meta-analysis of 16 trials in a Cochrane review of echinacea. (6) However, the majority of the studies from the Cochrane review reported a positive consequence (6)

Three studies point out to that echinacea reduced severity of symptoms upon URI symptom scoring instruments and reduc the duration of illness by dint of one to two days. (7-9) [Reference 9--Evidence flat B, lower quality RCT] united of these studies (7) examined a preparation made from the radix of E. pallida, which is not widely sold in the United States; the other studies (89) examined proprietary preparations based onward liquid preparations of E. purpurea (trade names, Echinaforce and EchinaGuard), which more closely compare the typical echinacea preparations that are available in the United States. Small sample sizes (54 to 80 bring under rules in the active treatment groups) limit the applicability of many of the thought results.

URINARY TRACT INFECTION

Echinacea is ofttimes used for treatment and prevention of urinary tract infection (UTI), based onward an assumption of its immunostimulating properties. single anecdotal evidence supports the use of echinacea for these indications.

FUNGAL INFECTIONS

In Germany, the combination of oral, freshly represented echinacea juice and a topical antifungal cream has been used in the treatment of returning vaginal yeast infections. (10) Further research into this application is necessary to validate its efficacy.

Interactions, Adverse efficiencys and Contraindications

No significant herb-drug interactions with echinacea have been reported. Based forward in vitro studies, echinacea may be a mild inhibitor of the cytochrome P450 3A4 enzyme manifold system; this inhibition tends to increase on a levels of drugs metabolized by this method such as itraconazole (Sporanox), fexofenadine (Allegra), and lovastatin (Mevacor). (11) Although no like interaction has been reported in humans, it is probably advisable to use echinacea with caution in patients who are taking these medications. Theoretically, the immune-stimulating properties of echinacea might interfere with the use of immunosuppressive medications in patients with autoimmune disease; however, while like an effect is theoretically possible, it has not been documented in animals or humans.