The purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, is a drought-tolerant perennial of the
flowering plant Family Asteraceae and native to North America. It has daisy-like
purple flowers arranged in a large cone-shaped head.
Herbal
remedy
As an herbal remedy, Echinacea is attributed with the ability to boost the body's
immune system and fight off infections. It is used in the treatment of:
Colds, coughs and flu and other upper respiratory conditions
Enlarged lymph glands, sore throat
Urinary tract infections
Other minor infections
Herpes and candida
Wounds, skin regeneration and skin infections (external use)
Psoriasis, eczema and inflammatory skin conditions (external use)
There are three species of echinacea — E. purpurea, E. angustifolia, and E. pallida.
Depending on which species is used, herbal medications are made from the above-ground
herb (aerial) and/or root portions. It is not clearly known which of echinacea's many
chemical components are responsible for its effects, although all species possess a
certain marker compounds of the chemical class called "phenols" (cichoric and
caftaric acids are phenols that are present in the aerial and root portions of E.
purpurea, and echinacoside is a phenol found in higher levels specifically within E.
angustifolia and E. pallida roots). When making herbal remedies, these phenols serve
as markers to evaluate the quality of echinacea in the product. Other constituents
that may be important include alkamides and polysaccharides.
|
