Search Results (19)

The therapeutic potential of natural products has led to the exploitation of phytocomplexes for treating various skin conditions, including wounds. Echinacea angustifolia DC. has traditionally been used for wound healing, burns, and other ailments. In this study, dried roots of E. angustifolia were extracted using a hydroalcoholic solution, and the phytochemical composition was analyzed through HPLC-DAD. The polyphenol and polysaccharide content, along with in vitro antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase properties, were evaluated. The biological effect of E. angustifolia extract was evaluated on the 3T3-L1 cell line. HPLC-DAD analysis confirmed the presence of several polyphenols, particularly caffeic acid derivatives, with echinacoside as the predominant compound, exhibiting strong antioxidant properties. The extract demonstrated no cytotoxic effect on 3T3-L1 cells, and it showed a protective effect by increasing the migration process in an in vitro scratch wound healing test, together with echinacoside and allantoin, which were used as references. Furthermore, the extract reduced the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and promoted that of proteins that accelerate wound closure, such as TGF-β1. The present study demonstrates the potential wound healing properties and the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of E. angustifolia root hydroalcoholic extract, giving a scientific rationale for its traditional use. Full article

The extraction processes for medicinal plants, particularly the distillation of aromatic plants, generate significant quantities of by-products, consisting of fibrous biomass and hydrosols. These by-products pose challenges for disposal and recovery. Consequently, it is imperative to make the entire highly energy-intensive process more sustainable by valorizing all derivatives. This study aims to recover polyphenols from the exhausted biomasses of Artemisia dracunculus, Echinacea purpurea, Helichrysum italicum (from the Asteraceae family), and Lavandula angustifolia, Lavandula × intermedia, Melissa officinalis, Salvia officinalis, Salvia sclarea, and Salvia rosmarinus (from the Lamiaceae family) after steam distillation. The residual biomasses were extracted using ethanol (conventional solvent) and different natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) composed of choline chloride in combination with citric and lactic acids at different molar ratios. The NADES containing choline chloride and lactic acid at the molar ratio 1:1 (CLA11) exhibited the highest recovery of representative phenols of the plants, namely chicoric and rosmarinic acids. The CLA11 solvent demonstrated a stronger extractive capacity compared to ethanol in all the biomasses belonging to the Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families. Specifically, CLA11 extracts showed a higher number of compounds in UHPLC-HRMS and greater concentrations of chicoric and rosmarinic acids determined by HPLC-DAD than ethanol extracts. In conclusion, NADES were demonstrated to be a viable alternative system for the recovery of bioactive compounds that could be used to formulate new products for the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Moreover, the use of NADES can enhance the sustainability of the whole production chain of essential oils being environmentally friendly. Full article

Background: Echinacea species, particularly Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, and Echinacea pallida, are renowned for their immunomodulatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. Objectives: This review explores the mechanisms by which echinacea herbal extracts modulate immune responses, focusing on their effects on both innate and adaptive immunity in bacterial and viral infections. Results: Key bioactive compounds, such as alkamides, caffeic acid derivatives, flavonoids, and polysaccharides, contribute to these effects. These compounds enhance immune cell activity, including macrophages and natural killer cells, stimulating cytokine production and phagocytosis. The antibacterial activity of echinacea against respiratory pathogens (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Legionella pneumophila) and skin pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, Propionibacterium acnes) is reviewed, as well as its antiviral efficacy against viruses like herpes simplex, influenza, and rhinovirus. Echinacea’s potential as a complementary treatment alongside conventional antibiotics and antivirals is discussed, particularly in the context of antibiotic resistance and emerging viral threats. Conclusions: Challenges associated with variability in phytochemical content and the need for standardized extraction processes are also addressed. This review provides a comprehensive overview of echinacea’s therapeutic potential and outlines future directions for research, including clinical trials and dosage optimization. Full article

A randomised open clinical/laboratory study was performed to evaluate the safety and cosmetic efficacy of facial cosmetics for females during the menopausal period. The cosmetics contain active ingredients of meristem cells derived from the medicinal plants Leontopodium alpinum, Buddeleja davidii, Centella asiatica, and Echinacea angustifolia. Recently, the major bioactive molecules of these medicinal plants (leontopodic acid, verbascoside, asiaticoside, and echinacoside, respectively) have been thoroughly evaluated in vitro for molecular pathways and cellular mechanisms and their preventive/curative effects on human skin cells exposed to factors promoting premature skin ageing and cellular senescence. Nevertheless, clinical data on their safety/efficacy to ageing human skin are scarce. This clinical study enrolled 104 Caucasian females in pre-menopause, menopause, or post-menopause periods. They applied cosmetic serums daily for 1 month. Questionnaires and instrumental and biochemical methods were used to assess dermatological/ophthalmological safety and cosmetic efficacy through changes of the skin physiology markers characteristic of ageing/menopause (elasticity, barrier functions, moisture, sebum, ultrasonic properties, and collagen content and structure). Quantitative microbiological tests were carried out for skin microbiota fluctuations. Data showed that the cosmetics were safe, and they shifted the skin physiology parameters to a younger biological age, enhanced collagen synthesis, inhibited lipid peroxidation, and favoured normal microbiota. Full article

For centuries, medicinal plants have been used as sources of remedies and treatments for various disorders and diseases. Recently, there has been renewed interest in these plants due to their potential pharmaceutical properties, offering natural alternatives to synthetic drugs. Echinacea, among the world’s most important medicinal plants, possesses immunological, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. Nevertheless, there is a notable lack of thorough information regarding the echinacea species, underscoring the vital need for a comprehensive review paper to consolidate existing knowledge. The current review provides a thorough analysis of the existing knowledge on recent advances in understanding the physiology, secondary metabolites, agronomy, and ecology of echinacea plants, focusing on E. purpurea, E. angustifolia, and E. pallida. Pharmacologically advantageous effects of echinacea species on human health, particularly distinguished for its ability to safeguard the nervous system and combat cancer, are discussed. We also highlight challenges in echinacea research and provide insights into diverse approaches to boost the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites of interest in echinacea plants and optimize their large-scale farming. Various academic databases were employed to carry out an extensive literature review of publications from 2001 to 2024. The medicinal properties of echinacea plants are attributed to diverse classes of compounds, including caffeic acid derivatives (CADs), chicoric acid, echinacoside, chlorogenic acid, cynarine, phenolic and flavonoid compounds, polysaccharides, and alkylamides. Numerous critical issues have emerged, including the identification of active metabolites with limited bioavailability, the elucidation of specific molecular signaling pathways or targets linked to echinacoside effects, and the scarcity of robust clinical trials. This raises the overarching question of whether scientific inquiry can effectively contribute to harnessing the potential of natural compounds. A systematic review and analysis are essential to furnish insights and lay the groundwork for future research endeavors focused on the echinacea natural products. Full article

Long coronavirus disease (COVID) syndrome leads to chronic inflammatory state onset that can have a multisystem impact and compromise organ function. Moreover, long COVID syndrome is often characterized by the presence of chronic fatigue, which affects subjects’ daily activities and worsens their quality of life. The aim of our double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial (protocol code RS 150.21, approved on 4 November 2021) was to evaluate the beneficial effects of the consumption of 2 cps/day, for two months, of an oral food supplement (OFS), based on Echinacea angustifolia, rosehip, propolis, royal jelly and zinc, in long COVID patients, compared to a two-month placebo period. The OFS’s vitamin C content was equal to 22.17 mg/g (8.87 mg/capsule). The OFS’s total polyphenol content was 43.98 mg/g gallic acid equivalents. At the end of the in vivo study, we highlighted a significant decrease in the inflammatory parameters in the OFS period, compared to the placebo period (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, p = 0.0455; monocyte to-lymphocyte ratio, p = 0.0005; C-reactive protein, p = 0.0145). Our study also highlighted a significant increase in vitamin D serum values (p = 0.0005) and, at the same time, an improvement in patients’ life quality and a reduction in fatigue, monitored by the fatigue severity scale. This study showed the OFS’s beneficial effects on the inflammatory state, fatigue and quality of life in long COVID patients. Full article

Echinacea, a herbaceous, perennial flowering plant from the Compositae (Asteraceae) family, exhibits stimulating effects on myeloid progenitors (CFU-GMs) in rat bone marrow, as demonstrated in our previous study using a 75% (v v⁻¹) ethanol extract of aerial parts. Expanding on this work, we have investigated eleven different Echinacea samples that belong to three species for their myeloid progenitor-stimulating activity. Simultaneously, we employed ¹H-NMR spectroscopy (400 MHz, 0.02–10.02 ppm) and chemometric analysis to predict constituents responsible for activity. Female Sprague–Dawley rats received oral doses of ethanol extracts (0–200 mg extract dry weight kg⁻¹ body weight) of Echinacea for seven days. Bone marrow cells were then cultured with CFU-GM growth factors. Extracts showing a statistically significant (p < 0.05) increase in CFU-GM, compared to the control, were considered active. Significant CFU-GM increases were observed in rats treated with seven Echinacea samples, ranging from 39% to 91% higher than the control, while four samples were inactive. All five Echinacea purpurea samples showed myeloid progenitor-stimulating activity, while one sample each of Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea pallida also exhibited the same activity. By applying orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) to the ¹H-NMR spectra, we identified specific spectral bins (0.70–1.98 ppm aliphatic and 6.38–7.76 ppm aromatic) correlating with myelopoiesis stimulation. These findings highlight the potential of chemometric analysis using ¹H-NMR spectroscopy to infer the chemical classes that could be responsible for the bioactive properties of complex herbal mixtures, like Echinacea. Full article

The Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus that causes viral encephalitis leading to neural damage, is a major threat in most Asian countries. The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) present in the viral genome is the key component for genome replication, making it an attractive target for antiviral drug development. In this study, the natural products from Echinacea angustifolia were retrieved for structure-based virtual screening against JEV–RdRp. The top six compounds (Echinacoside, Echinacin, Rutin, Cynaroside, Quercetagetin 7-glucoside, and Kaempferol-3-glucoside) were obtained based on the highest negative docking score, ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity), and molecular interaction. The computational analysis of these selected compounds against the co-crystallized ligands, i.e., ATP and GTP, were performed. Further, 100 ns molecular dynamic simulation and post-free binding energy calculation of all the selected compounds complexed with JEV–RdRP were performed to check the stability of the complexes. The obtained results showed considerable stability and intermolecular interaction with native ligand-binding site residues of JEV–RdRp. Hence, selected natural compounds are admissible inhibitors of JEV–RdRp protein and can be considered for future antiviral drug development studies. Full article

This study evaluated the elemental composition of 25 herbal tea plants commonly used in infusions by Portuguese consumers and the contribution to the elemental daily intake of some essential elements. Hydrocotyle asiatica (L.), Matricaria chamomilla (L.), and Melissa officinalis (L.) samples are a rich source of K with around 6.0 mg g⁻¹ while the Asteraceae Silybum marianum (L.) and Echinacea angustifolia (DC.) exhibited 4.9 and 5.6 mg g⁻¹ Ca, respectively. The highest concentrations of S and Zn were noted in Hydrocotyle asiatica (L.), while the highest concentration of Sr was found in Cassia angustifolia (Vahl.). In general, a large variability in the concentrations among different families and plant organs had been observed, except Cu with levels around 30 μg g⁻¹. The principal component analysis (PCA) showed positive correlations between Zn and S and Sr and Ca, also revealing that Hydrocotyle asiatica (L.), Echinacea angustifolia (DC.), Silybum marianum (L.), and Cassia angustifolia (Vahl.) samples, stands out about all other samples regarding the enrichment of macro and micronutrients. The elemental solubility of macronutrients in the infusion is greater than the micronutrient solubility, despite the contribution to the recommended daily intake was weak. As a whole, Cynara scolymus (L.) and Hibiscus sabdariffa (L.) are the species with the best elemental solubilities, followed by Hydrocotyle asiatica (L.). No harmful elements, such as As and Pb, were observed in both the raw material and the infusions. Full article

Background and Objectives: Echinacea angustifolia and purpurea have known immunomodulatory effects which boost viral clearance, including HPV infection. However, evidence regarding the improvement due to Echinacea-based supplements of cervical HPV-related pathologies is still lacking. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of Echinacea supplementation on the remission of cervical low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (L-SIL). Materials and Methods: A single-blind 1:1:1 parallel randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Colposcopy Unit of a tertiary care referral center. Reproductive-aged women were allocated either to (a) an oral supplement based on Echinacea extracts plus vaginal hyaluronic acid-based soft gel capsules, (b) the Echinacea supplement alone, or (c) vaginal hyaluronic acid-based soft gel capsules alone for 3 months. The primary outcome was the regression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)-1 for each treatment arm at 3, 6 and 12 months after the diagnosis. Secondary outcomes included changes in the epithelialization, pap smear, colposcopic parameters, histological reports, and vaginal health indexes (VHI) in the study groups. Results: 153 women (52 for arm A, 50 for arm B and 51 for arm C) completed the follow-up and were included in the analysis. There were no significant differences in both primary and secondary outcomes for the three groups after 3 months. At the 6-month follow-up, the number of persistent CIN-1 diagnoses was significantly lower in arm A (15/51), rather than in arm B (23/48, p = 0.03) and C (27/49, p = 0.03). Similarly, the same effect was seen after 12 months for treatment A (5/51) relative to B (15/48, p = 0.03) and C (14/48, p = 0.03). Colposcopic, histological and vaginal parameters were all significantly improved at 6 and 12 months for arm A relative to B and C, while no beneficial effects were seen after 3 months. Conclusions: Echinacea extracts supplementation in women with L-SIL/CIN-1 significantly boosts HPV lesion clearance, reducing the overall amount of diagnosis, histological, colposcopic and vaginal parameters after 6 and 12 months. However, a limited sample size reduces the quality of evaluated evidence, emphasizing the need for additional studies to validate these findings. Full article

Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench (EP)is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant, commonly known as purple coneflower and it belongs to the Asteraceae family. The Echinacea genus is originally from North America, in the United States, and its species are widely distributed throughout. There are nine different species of Echinacea, but only three of them are used as medicinal plants with wide therapeutic uses: Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench, Echinacea pallida (Nutt.) Nutt. and Echinacea angustifolia DC. Several significant groups of bioactive compounds with pharmacological activities have been isolated from Echinacea species. Numerous beneficial effects have been demonstrated about these compounds. The immunomodulatory effect was initially demonstrated, but over time other effects have also been highlighted. The present review gives a comprehensive summary of the chemical constituents, bioactive compounds, biological effects and therapeutical uses of purple coneflower. Research shows that such a well-known and recognized species needs to be further studied to obtain efficient products with a guarantee of the safety. Full article

Echinacea is a perennial plant that is used for its phytotherapeutic potential. Echinacea crops are often affected by invasive weeds. One of the most effective strategies in weed control is the use of chemicals such as herbicides. However, herbicides also affect the physiological and morphological processes of Echinacea. For this reason, the aim of this study was to determine the effects of different dosages (0, 250, 500, 750, 1000, and 1250 g ha⁻¹) of the postemergent herbicide metribuzin on some morphological and physiological characteristics of Echinacea purpurea and Echinacea angustifolia collected from different locations in Iran (E. purpurea from the Shiraz and Isfahan regions and E. angustifolia from the Ardestan and Kazerun regions). Application of metribuzin decreased leaf dry weight for both Echinacea species at high doses (750 and 1250 g ha⁻¹). At high metribuzin dose (1250 g ha⁻¹), E. purpurea Shiraz leaves showed an increase in MDA (malondialdehyde) up to 9.14, while in other species the MDA content was lower. Minimum and maximum fluorescence increased at both the registered dosage (500 g ha⁻¹) and at high doses (750–1250 g ha⁻¹) of metribuzin treatments in both species. The Fv/Fm (maximum quantum yield) value was reduced in herbicide treated species, compared to the control, starting at the 250 g ha⁻¹ dose, and was lowest at 750 g ha⁻¹ dose. The results of this study indicate that metribuzin has adverse effects on the physiology and morphology of Echinacea species at dosages above 500 g ha⁻¹. Full article

With the increased occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, alternatives to classical antibiotics are urgently needed for treatment of various infectious diseases. Medicinal plant extracts are among the promising candidates due to their bioactive components. The aim of this study was to prepare niosome-encapsulated Echinacea angustifolia extract and study its efficacy against multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains. Encapsulation was first optimized by Design of Experiments, followed by the empirical study. The obtained niosomes were further characterized for the size and morphology using dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Spherical niosomes had a diameter of 142.3 ± 5.1 nm, as measured by DLS. The entrapment efficiency (EE%) of E. angustifolia extract reached up to 77.1% ± 0.3%. The prepared niosomes showed a controlled drug release within the tested 72 h and a storage stability of at least 2 months at both 4 and 25 °C. The encapsulated E. angustifolia displayed up to 16-fold higher antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant K.pneumoniae strains, compared to the free extract. Additionally, the niosome exhibited negligible cytotoxicity against human foreskin fibroblasts. We anticipate that the results presented herein could contribute to the preparation of other plant extracts with improved stability and antibacterial activity, and will help reduce the overuse of antibiotics by controlled release of natural-derived drugs. Full article

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus, continues to be a global threat. The number of cases and deaths will remain escalating due to the lack of effective therapeutic agents. Several studies have established the importance of the viral main protease (M^pro) in the replication of SARS-CoV-2 which makes it an attractive target for antiviral drug development, including pharmaceutical repurposing and other medicinal chemistry approaches. Identification of natural products with considerable inhibitory potential against SARS-CoV-2 could be beneficial as a rapid and potent alternative with drug-likeness by comparison to de novo antiviral drug discovery approaches. Thereof, we carried out the structure-based screening of natural products from Echinacea-angustifolia, commonly used to prevent cold and other microbial respiratory infections, targeting SARS-CoV-2 M^pro. Four natural products namely, Echinacoside, Quercetagetin 7-glucoside, Levan N, Inulin from chicory, and 1,3-Dicaffeoylquinic acid, revealed significant docking energy (>−10 kcal/mol) in the SARS-CoV-2 M^pro catalytic pocket via substantial intermolecular contacts formation against co-crystallized ligand (<−4 kcal/mol). Furthermore, the docked poses of SARS-CoV-2 M^pro with selected natural products showed conformational stability through molecular dynamics. Exploring the end-point net binding energy exhibited substantial contribution of Coulomb and van der Waals interactions to the stability of respective docked conformations. These results advocated the natural products from Echinacea angustifolia for further experimental studies with an elevated probability to discover the potent SARS-CoV-2 M^pro antagonist with higher affinity and drug-likeness. Full article

Dodeca-2E,4E,8Z,10E/Z-tetraenoic isobutylamide (tetraene) is the main component of Echinacea angustifolia DC. lipophilic extract, the bioavailability and immunomodulatory effect after oral administration in soft gel capsules in healthy volunteers of which we have already demonstrated. In the present work, we assessed the transdermal administration as an alternative route of administration of such an alkamide. The first step, therefore, encompassed the preparation of a drug-in-adhesive patch with an area of 868 mm² and containing a dose of 0.64 mg of tetraene. In vitro skin permeation studies in Franz-type diffusion chambers resulted in a tetraene flux of (103 ± 10) ng × cm⁻² × h⁻¹ with a very good linearity (r = 0.99). The relatively low lag time of just 13 min indicates low binding and the accumulation of tetraene in the skin. Finally, the patch was administered to six healthy volunteers, and the pharmacokinetic analysis was performed by nonlinear mixed effects modelling with soft gel oral capsules serving as the reference formulation. The in vivo results correlated well with the in vitro permeation and indicated an initial burst tetraene absorption from the patch that was in parallel with the zero-order kinetics of absorption. The rate of the latter process was in good agreement with the one estimated in vitro. The tetraene absorption rate was therefore slow and prolonged with time, resulting in a bioavailability of 39% relative to the soft gel capsules and a very flat plasma concentration profile. Full article