-
Echinacea is a genus
consisting of nine species of flowering plants in the Family Asteraceae,
all native to eastern North America, and often known as the purple
coneflower. The genus name is from the Greek echino, meaning "spiny",
due to the spiny central disk. They are herbaceous, drought-tolerant
perennial plants growing to 1 or 2 m in height.
- The leaves are
lanceolate to elliptic, 10-20 cm long and 1.5-10 cm broad. Like all
Asteraceae, the flowers are a composite inflorescence, with purple
(rarely yellow or white) florets arranged in a prominent, somewhat
cone-shaped head; "cone-shaped" because the petals of the outer ray
florets tend to point downward once the flower head opens, thus forming
a cone. Studies have both proved and disproved the effectiveness of
Echinacea in combating common diseases such as the cold.
- Echinacea is an herb
native to prairie habitats in the United States. Some species of
Echinacea, notably P. purpurea, E. angustifolia, and E. pallida, are
grown as ornamental plants in gardens.They tolerate a wide variety of
conditions, maintain attractive foliage throughout the season, and
multiply rapidly.
- Plants are generally
started from seed, which is often hard to germinate, with 50% or less in
some cases. It is generally recommended that seed undergo a 30-90 day
stratification period in peat or fine sand at 5°C, followed by seeding
in a room at 40°C for germination. A soil mix of 1:1:1, peat, sand and
soil by volume is suggested. Literature also suggests that surface or
very shallow seeding gives better results as light has some influence on
germination. Another procedure for greenhouse seeding is to give the
seed 30 day stratification at 0°C then a 24 hour aerated water soak,
followed by sowing on the surface of the medium in a room at
40°C.
- There are about 257,000
seeds/kg (117,000 seeds/lb) in E. purpurea and up to 319,000 seeds/kg
(145,000 seeds/lb) in E. pallida var. angustifolia. One-half kg (one
lb.) of seed should be enough to provide transplants for an acre. E.
pallida var. angustifolia seed needs to be air cleaned well, excluding
nonviable seed, to increase the germination rate. Seed will keep in
sealed containers in a freezer or in a cool dry room for several
years.
- Echinacea is not weed
tolerant, thus weeding is an important factor. There are no herbicides
registered for field grown echinacea in Canada, only ornamental and none
are applied for, as the industry prefers to grow organically. One of the
best ways to reduce weed problems in echinacea plantings is to prepare
the land at least one year in advance.Diseases such as fusarium,
sclerotinia, pythium, phytophthora, and verticillium have been found on
echinacea. The disease aster yellows is a problem on echinacea and is
spread by leafhoppers. There is no control for leafhoppers.
- Several laboratory and
animal studies suggest that echinacea contains active substances that
enhance the activity of the immune system, relieve pain, reduce
inflammation, and have hormonal, antiviral, and antioxidant effects. For
this reason, professional herbalists may recommend echinacea to treat
urinary tract infections, vaginal yeast (candida) infections, ear
infections (also known as otitis media), athlete's foot, sinusitis, hay
fever (also called allergic rhinitis), as well as slow-healing
wounds.
- A rationale for
promoting farm-raised echinacea, rather than wild harvesting, has been
the threat to wild plant populations from indiscriminate
collecting
on private and public lands. Professional wild harvesters have been
collecting roots at an accelerating pace for sale to botanicals brokers.
Landowners have also exploited the presence of wild populations on their
land. Plant digging on certain western tribal lands dramatically
increased after 1995. In the late 1990s several western states banned or
restricted collection of wild echinacea to protect E. angustifolia
populations.
- Researchers of the
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich demonstrated that
compounds of Echinacea, so-called alkylamides, exert their
immunomodulatory effects by several mechanisms that are partly dependent
and partly independent of the activation of CB2 receptors. They showed
that several alkylamides of Echinacea bind to the CB2-receptor more
strongly than endocannabinoids. They reduce inflammation by effects on
cytokines, e.g. by the inhibition of TNF-alpha.
- The largest market for
herbal medicines using Echinacea is in Europe, where Phytomedicine
counter sales were US$2.4 billion in the European community in 1990, 65%
of this total in Germany. The volume of world trade in Echinacea root is
not known. There is a small demand by
Australasian processors for
root (a few tonnes only). Prices paid for dried root typically range
from $20 to $60/kg depending on the degree of processing. The price for
leaf is in the $8-25 range. |
General
- Echinacea-
Introduction
- Echinacea
- Information on
Echinacea
- Classification of
Echinacea
- Echinacea Fact
Sheet
- Herbs at a Glance-
Echinacea
Growth and
Cultivation
- Culture of
Echinacea
- Growing
Echinacea
- An Overview of Growing
Echinacea
-
Effect of
Nitrogen Fertilization on Echinacea purpurea Mineral
Composition
Species
Information
- Echinacea
laevigata
- Echinacea
angustifolia
- Echinacea
purpurea
- Echinacea
atrorubens
- Echinacea
pallida
- Echinacea
paradoxa
- Echinacea
sanguinea
- Echinacea
simulata
- Echinacea
tennesseensis
Properties and
Extraction
-
The Synthesis
and Natural Distribution of the Major Ketone Constituents in Echinacea
pallida
-
Diacetylenic
Isobutylamides of Echinacea
- Optimisation of
Polysaccharides in Processed Echinacea purpurea
-
Content of
essential oil obtained from flower heads of Echinacea purpurea L. and
identification of selected components
-
Echinacea
purpurea glycerite: Key elements of the Extraction process
-
Alkylamides
from Echinacea Are a New Class of Cannabinomimetics
Production and
Management
- Echinacea Production in
Manitoba
- Echinacea production in
Saskatchewan
- Production Practices
for Echinacea Angustifolia
-
Warm Climate
Production Guidelines for Echinacea
- Echinacea angustifolia
- Field Production
- Yellows Diseases of
Echinacea, Monarda and Caraway
- Factors Affecting
Echinacea Quality
- Diseases of Echinacea
on the Canadian Prairies
Growers and
Cultivars
- AB cultivars
- Dayton Nursery
- Terrapin Gardens
- AlwaysGreen
Nursery
- Cate Farm
- The Crownsville
Nursery
- Dave's Garden
- NorthCreek
Nurseries
- Portland Nursery
- Prairie Nursery
Inc
- Stadler
Nurseries
- Sunny Border
- Terra Nova Nurseries,
Inc
- The Mixed Border
Nursery and Gardens
- Twombly Nursery
- Van Hoorn Nurseries,
Inc.,
Consultants
- Wilhelmsen
Consulting
- Chiwon W. Lee
- Timothy P. Scheett, Ph.
D
- James W. Rushing
- Edward Maclin
- Harold W. Keller
- Darryl See, M.D.
- Daniel C. Cherkin,
Ph.D.
- Susan Gail Cosmetic
Surgery Consultant
Patent
- Heated alcohol
extraction of herbs
- Process for Extracting
Compounds from Plants
- Botanical Extraction
Process
- Echinacea angustifolia
extracts
- Echinacea supplement
and method of manufacture
- Transgenic Echinacea
plants
- Method of preparing
echinacea powder
- Use of echinacea as a
hematinic agent
- Polysaccharide of
echinacea angustifolia
Products
-
Echinacea
Syrup
- Echinacea Plus
- Echinacea Blends
- Healthcare
Products
- EchinamideŽ
Standardized Echinacea Products
- Pure Echinacea
Products
- Ginseng Echinacea
Products
-
Most Popular
Echinacea Products
- Nature's ResourceŽ
Echinacea Whole Herb
- Think Natural Products
List
- Echinacea Products
List
- Eclectic Institute,
Echinacea Products
- Echinamide Echinacea
Products
- Capsules
|
Applications
-
An Evaluation
of Echinacea angustifolia in Experimental Rhinovirus
Infections
- Uses of
Echinacea
- Clinical Pharmacology/
Pharmacodynamics
- Complementary Medicinal
Uses
- Health Benefits of
Echinacea
- Treatment of the Common
Cold with Unrefined Echinacea
- Echinacea - For Colds
Flu and Immune System
Material Safety Data
Sheet
- Powdered Echinacea
Angustifolia
- Echinacea Angustifolia
Herb Powder
- Echinacea juice
extract
- Powdered Echinacea
Purpurea Extract
- Echinacea purpurea
USA
- Echinacea Kit
Safety Data Sheet
Market
- Economic Issues with
Echinacea
- Farm Diversification
Information
- Economics of
Echinacea
-
Botanical
Ingredients: Growing Market, Growing Challenges
- The Conservation Status
of Echinacea Species
-
Market
Opportunities and Strategic Directions for Specialty Herbs and Essential
Oil Crops in Montana
-
National
Market Analysis for Southwestern Herbs
- Echinacea Market
Outlook
- Market News - Medicinal
Plants & Extracts
Report
- Echinacea: Herb of the
Year 2002
- Alaskan Special Forest
Products Markets Report
-
Commercial
Seed Lots Exhibit Reduced Seed Dormancy in Comparison to Wild Seed Lots
of Echinacea purpurea
- Echinacea - Natural
Standard Monograph
- Echinacea as a Tobacco
Crop Alternative
- Medical Cannabis News
and Information
-
Echinacea -
The purple coneflowers
- The Herbal Path- A
Natural Pharmacy
- Echinacea purpurea -
Herb Information Greenpaper
Projects
-
Using Earth
Derived Antibiotics to Effectively Inhibit Staphylococcus
aureus
- Government Chemist
Programme Project- Methods for Ginkgo Biloba and Echinacea in Food
Supplements
- Echinacea: Myth or
Miracle
- Conservation Project:
Recovery of Echinacea laevigata
- Diversity in Echinacea
and Hypericum
- Nutraceutical/Medicinal
Industry Enhancement Project
- Echinacea: Ecology
& Evolution in Fragmented Praire Habitat
- Medicinal herb planting
projects
- Efficacy and safety of
echinacea in treating upper respiratory tract infections in children: a
randomized controlled trial.
Suppliers and
Buyers
- Worldwide Echinacea
Suppliers
- Echinacea - Selling
Leads
- Echinacea Trade
Leads
- Echinacea
Manufacturers
- Echinacea
Sellers
- Selling leads of
Echinacea
- Distributors of
Echinacea
- Echinacea Powdered
Extract Suppliers
- Echinacea
Suppliers
- Suppliers of Echinacea
Extracts
- Foreign
Exporters & Manufacturers
- Amax NutraSource,
Inc
- Foreign
Importers & Buyers
- Echinacea Buyers
List
Safety and
Hazards
- Safety of Echinacea in
the Prevention and Treatment of Symptoms of the Common Cold
- Hazards of Herbal
Use
- Anesthesia And Herbal
Medicines - Hidden Hazards
- Herb Echinacea- Safe
for Sniffles During Pregnancy
- Echinacea Side Effect:
Gut Changes
- Echinacea and
Pregnancy
- Efficacy and Safety of
Echinacea in Treating Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in
Children
Guides
- Important Links on
Echinacea
-
A Hands-On
Training Program in Supercritical CO2 Extraction
- Herbal Extract
Information and Guidance
- Labelling Guidance
Document
- Echinacea- A Common
Remedy
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