Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Echinacea (ek-in-AY-shee-a or ek-in-AY-see-a; derived from Greek word ekhinos, meaning urchin or porcupine, due to the spiny central disk of the composite flowers head) is a genus of flowering plants from the Aster family (Asteraceae/Compositae) including nine accepted species. Most of the species are native to Eastern and Central North America. The most common species grown in the gardens and used medicinally are E. purpurea (purple coneflowers or hedgehog coneflowers) and E. angustifolia (narrow-leaf coneflower). E. pallida (pale-purple coneflower) also forms a part of the pharmaceutical supply chain. Echinacea angustifolia is used for hundreds of years for treating flu, cold, sore throat, respiratory tract infections and difficult to heal wounds by the native Americans. However, many herbalists are also using E. purpurea for all these symptoms. According to a report published in HerbalGram (The Journal of the American Botanical Council) in the Fall issue of 2021, Echinacea stands at No. 9 in the list of top-selling herbal supplements and the total sales stand at $12,856,524 in the USA alone.
Echinacea is a genus of herbaceous perennials growing up to 150 cm (60 cm in E. angustifolia; 90 cm in E. purpurea; 120 cm in E. pallida) in height. The stem, arising from a fusiform (wider in the center and narrowing at the ends) taproot, is green or mottled with purple and green. The leaves are lanceolate or linear-lanceolate with three veins in E. angustifolia and ovate, coarsely toothed, with basal ones often cordate in E. purpurea. Two types of flowers, ray florets and disc florets, are aggregated in a conical flower head (known as capitulum) up to 10 cm in diameter and with spiny projections of the receptacle scales on the surface. The ray florets (with long purplish strap-like petals; white petals in ‘White Swan’ cultivar of E. purpurea), which are 8-21 in number, are arranged on the periphery of the head, while the disc florets (approximately 200-300 in number) occupy the central area. The fruits, known as cypselae, are 3-4-angled, tan or bicolored with dark brown bands and have a distal crown of persistent pappi with teeth.
Major chemical constituents in the roots are echinacoside, cynarin, cichoric acid, arabinogalactan, rhamnoarabinogalactan, xyloglucan, inulin, fructans, heteroxylan, alkylamides, borneol, bornylacetate, pentadeca-8-en-2-one, vanillin, p-hydroxycinnamic acid methyl ester, germacrene D, dimethyl sulfide, 2- and 3-methylbutanal, 2-propanal, 2-methylpropanal, acetaldehyde, camphene, limonene, caryophyllene, caryophyllene epoxide, palmitic acid and glycine betaine.
Extracts, capsules, tablets, tea, tinctures, ointment, etc.
Most of the studies report Echinacea as ‘safe’ for most people when used for a short duration. However, some people may develop stomachache, constipation, diarrhoea or vomiting. Some people have a tendency to allergic reactions to members of the Aster family and may suffer from acute asthma and urticaria. It is not recommended for pregnant women, lactating mothers and young children as sufficient pieces of evidence are not available. As this plant has immunomodulatory properties, it may worsen the conditions of persons suffering from auto-immune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis.
NOTE: This information is only for knowledge. Do not use herbal medicines without a prescription by a medical practitioner.
FURTHER READING
- Armstrong, D. (2001). Herbs That Work. Ulysses Press, Berkeley.
- Barnes, J., Anderson, L.A. and Phillipson, J.D. (2007). Herbal Medicine. Pharmaceutical Press, London, UK.
- Capasso, F., Gaginella, T.S., Grandolini, G. and Izzo, A.A. (2003). Phytotherapy: A Quick Reference to Herbal Medicine. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
- Duke, A. (1999). Dr. Duke’s Essential Herbs. Rodale Books, Pennsylvania.
- Gladstar, R. (2014). Herbs for Common Ailments. Storey Publishing, Maryland, USA.
- Karch, S.B. (1999). The Consumers Guide to Herbal Medicine. Advanced Research Press, New York.
- Kunkele, U. and Lohmeyer, T.R. (2007). Herbs for Healthy Living. Paragon Books, Bath, UK.
Very informative Sir Ji
ReplyDeleteIndeed a wonder plant. Enjoyed the highly informative content of this article and beautiful pictures.
ReplyDeleteKeep adding to readers knowledge. Best wishes
Best