Echinacea

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Class: Plant

Proper Name: Echinacea angustifolia DC. (Asteraceae) (USDA 2003)

Common Names: Narrow-leaf echinacea, Kansas snakeroot, Narrow leaf-purple coneflower (McGuffin et al. 2000)

Source: Roots, rhizomes (Bisset and Wichtl 2001)

Route of Administration: Oral

Dosage Form: Those suited to the allowable route(s) of administration.

Use or Purpose: Statement to the effect of:

Oral:

• Traditionally used to fight off colds, flus and infections (Barnes et al. 2002; Bradley 1992).
• Acts as supportive therapy in the treatment of colds, flus, upper respiratory infections and urinary infections (Blumenthal et al. 2000; Bruneton 1995; Melchart et al. 1994; Bisset and Wichtl 2001; Iwu 1993; Bauer 1991; Bradley 1992; Schöneberger 1992; Awang 1991).
• Traditionally used for the relief of sore throat due to colds (TPD Labelling Standard, Blumenthal et al. 2000)

Dose:

Oral:

• Powdered: 1g 3x/day
  (Bradley 1992)
• Fluidextract: 0.5-1g dried equivalent, 3x/day.
  (1:1, 45% ethanol) Take with water (Bradley 1992).
• Tincture: 0.4-1g dried equivalent, 3x/day
  (1:5, 50% ethanol by volume) (Bradley 1992).
  

Duration of use: May be used up to 10-21 days (Brinker 2001; DeSmet et al. 1993; Blumenthal et al. 1998; McGuffin 1997).

Risk information: Statement to the effect of:

Cautions/Warnings: Consult a health care provider prior use if you have rheumatoid arthritis (Boon and Smith 1999)

Consult a health care provider prior use if you have a progressive systemic disease, such as tuberculosis, leukosis, collagenosis, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, HIV infection (Boon and Smith 1999)

Consult a health care provider prior use if you have auto-immune disorders (Blumenthal et al. 2000, Schulz 1998; Bisset and Wichtl 2001; DeSmet et al. 1993).

Consult a health care provider prior using if you are taking immunosuppressants (Boon and Smith 1999).

Consult a health care provider if symptoms persist.

Contraindications: Do not use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Do not use if you have an allergy to Asteraceae / Compositae (daisy) family (Brinker 2001; Jellin et al. 2003).

Non-medicinal ingredients: Must be chosen from the List of Acceptable Non-medicinal ingredients and must meet the limitations outlined in the list.

Specifications: Must comply with the minimum specifications outlined in the Compendium.

References

Awang DVC, Kindack DG. Herbal medicine, Echinacea. Canadian Pharmaceutical Journal 1991;124:512-6.

Barnes J, Anderson LA, Phillipson JD. Herbal Medicines: A guide for healthcare professionals. 2^nd ed. London (UK): Pharmaceutical Press; 2002.

Bauer R, Wagner H. Echinacea species as potential immunostimulatory drugs; 1991. In: Wagner H, Farnsworth NR, editors. Economic and medicinal plants research. Vol. 5. London (UK) Academic Press;1991.p.253-321.

Bisset NG, Wichtl M. Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals. 2^nd Ed. Stuttgart (Germany): medpharm GmbH Scientific Publishers; 2001.

Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinkmann J, editors. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Boston (MA): Integrative Medicine Communications; 2000.

Blumenthal M, Busse WR, Goldberg A, Gruenwald J, Hall T, Klein S, et al., editors. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Austin (TX): American Botanical Council;1998.

Boon H, Smith M. The Botanical Pharmacy: The Pharmacology of 47 Common Herbs. Kingston (Ontario):Quarry Press Inc;1999.

Bradley PR, editor.(1992). British Herbal Compendium Vol. 1. Bournemouth (UK): British Herbal Medicine Association;1992.

Brinker F. Herb Contraindications & Drug Interactions. 3^rd ed. Sandy (OR): Eclectic Medical Publications;2001.

Bruneton J. Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry, Medicinal Plants. Paris (France): Lavoisier;1995.

DeSmet PAGM, Keller K, Hansel R, Chandler RF, editors. Adverse Effects of Herb Drugs 2. Berlin (Germany): Springer-Verlag;1993.

Iwu MM. Handbook of African medicinal plants. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press;1993.

Jellin JM, Batz F, Hitchens K. Pharmacist's Letter / Prescriber's Letter Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Stockton (CA): Therapeutic Research Faculty; 2003.

McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, editors. Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press;1997.

McGuffin M, Kartesz JT, Leung AY, Tucker AO. Herbs of Commerce. 2^nd ed. USA: The American Herbal Products Association; 2000.

Melchart D, Linde K, Worku F, Bauer R, Wagner H. Immunomodulation with Echinacea: a systematic review of controlled clinical trials. Phytomedicine1994;1:245-254.

Mills S, Bone K. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy. Edinburgh (UK): Churchill Livingstone;2000.

Schöneberger D. The influence of immune-stimulating effects of pressed juice from Echinacea purpurea on the course and severity of colds. Forum immunologie 1992;8:2-12.

Schulz V, Hansel R, Tyler VE. Rational Phytotherapy. Berlin (Germany): Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg;1998.

TPD-Web Labelling Standard. Echinaceae [internet] [cited Dec 5 2003]. Available from: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodpharma/applic-demande/
guide-ld/label-etiquet-pharm/echinace-eng.php

USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germoplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN). Echinacea angustifolia [Internet] - [cited 2003 Dec 1]. Available from: http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/tax_search.pl