“Immune Enhancer”——Benefits & Application of Echinacea

Echinacea (as known as Echinacea purpurea), belongs to the genus Echinacea of the Compositae family. There are 8 species of this genus. It is native to America and has high medicinal value. E angustifolia and E purpurea are named after their flower heads resembling pine cones. The medicinal parts are roots and rhizomes or whole plants. The dried roots resemble Chuanmuxiang, fine strips, brown-black, oily, light and fragrant, sweet.

Echinacea is one of the most commonly used herbs in the world. Originally a North American Indian folk medicinal herb, a number of studies have been conducted on echinacea in Germany and other countries, and it is believed that it has the effect of enhancing immunity and improving cold symptoms. Its main chemical substances are amides, caffeic acid ester derivatives, flavonoids and volatile oils. Pharmacological research shows that echinacea has the functions of enhancing immunity, anti-virus and anti-inflammatory. From 1995 to 1998, echinacea has been ranked first in the sales of health care products in the United States.

Echinacea has a good anti-inflammatory effect. For common colds and traumas, flu and colds, polyarthritis, pertussis and upper respiratory tract infections in children, pediatric otitis media, tuberculosis, gynecological infectious diseases, urinary system infections, tracheitis, tonsillitis, eczema, allergic diseases, chronic prostatitis , Warts, psoriasis, candidiasis, chronic skin ulcers and chronic osteomyelitis, etc., all have varying degrees of curative effect.

Echinacea can also improve the symptoms of bronchitis in children. There are clinically controlled data on this. A doctor has conducted a retrospective study on 1,280 children with bronchitis, and the results show that treatment with echinacea juice can speed up the healing process than treatment with antibiotics. This is mainly because bronchitis is mostly a viral infection, and antibiotics are powerless against it, but echinacea preparations can stimulate non-specific defense mechanisms and attack virus-infected cells.

In China, Isatis root is the “artifact” for the prevention and treatment of colds in the minds of ordinary people; while in the United States, Echinacea is called the “Western Isatis root”, which shows that its status is extraordinary.

1. Benefits of echinacea extract

Echinacea is rich in polysaccharides and antioxidant polyphenol compounds. Among them, antioxidant polyphenols can effectively resist oxidation, inhibit free radicals, and isolate external pollution; polysaccharides can effectively soothe the skin, prevent hyaluronic acid from being hydrolyzed, restore skin firmness, and make the skin firmer. bouncy. Its polysaccharides and caffeic acid derivatives polyphenols can enhance the body’s immunity by increasing granulocytes and white blood cells and enhancing the activity of T cells and the phagocytic ability of macrophages, inhibiting hyaluronidase and promoting the secretion of adrenal cortex hormones and inhibiting influenza , Herpes, and has antibacterial and anti-infective effects. It can be used for various diseases such as influenza and trauma infection.

Another significant feature of echinacea extract to effectively deal with colds is that the application of echinacea extract preparations in the initial stage of a cold can significantly improve cough and strep throat, thereby greatly shortening the cold cycle. The reason is that echinacea extract polysaccharides, flavonoids, etc. can promote the production of interferon to help the body fight against the attack of the virus that causes the cold.

Echinacea polyphenols in echinacea extract can enhance the vitality of a type of immune cells in the human body-NK (Natural Killer) cells and increase the activity of macrophages to enhance their killing power against bacteria, viruses and other infection sources and even cancer cells. Strengthen the body’s ability to fight the flu.

Echinacea extract can also lower blood sugar, lower blood fat and protect liver, antibacterial, anti-allergic, lower uric acid, etc. The cichoric acid can inhibit hyaluronidase and HIV-1 integrase, and has a phagocytosis promotion and anti-inflammatory effect in vivo and in vitro. Viral activity.

The active ingredients of echinacea extract are echinacea polyphenol and echinacea cichoric acid, and their specifications are echinacea polyphenol 4%; cichoric acid 2% and 3% respectively.

Echinacea polyphenol is the stem, leaf and root extract of Echinacea Purpurea. The appearance is yellow-brown powder. Its active ingredients are amides, caffeic acid ester derivatives, flavonoids and volatile oils. Its specification is based on the dry product, the total phenol content is not less than 4.0%. The pharmacological action is as an immunomodulator and immunostimulant. Anti-virus, anti-fungal, anti-tumor, insecticidal and anti-inflammatory effects.

Cichoric acid is also one of the important immunologically active components in Echinacea purpurea. Pharmacological studies in recent years have shown that cichoric acid can enhance immune function and anti-inflammatory effects, and can inhibit hyaluronidase and protect collagen from free radicals that can cause degradation.

2. The 4 main components of Echinacea extract:

•   Chicoric Acid:
• 【CAS Number】70831-56-0
• 【Molecular formula】C22H18012
• 【Molecular Weight】 474.37

•  Echinacosides:
• 【CAS Number】61276-17-3
• 【Molecular formula】C29H36O15
• 【Molecular Weight】624.59

•   Cafftaric Acid:
• 【CAS Number】67879-58-7
• 【Molecular formula】C13H12O9
• 【Molecular Weight】312.23

•   Chlorogenic Acid:
• 【CAS Number】327-97-9
• 【Molecular formula】C16H18O9
• 【Molecular Weight】 354.31

     3.Main specifications and application of Echinacea extract

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