Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea L.)

For centuries, Native Americans have used Echinacea species to treat various ailments such as toothaches, sore throats, colds, rabies, snake bites, wounds, and burns. Archaeological excavations in North America have uncovered Echinacea samples dating back to the 1600s. Indian tribes considered E. angustifolia a panacea for all diseases. However, much of the Native American knowledge of medicinal plants was lost during the arrival and colonization of the continent by Europeans. Upon arriving on the continent, Europeans devastated Native American tribes and their traditions. As a result, only a fraction of the Native Americans' knowledge of Echinacea has been preserved. However, unlike other colonisers, the Shakers, an American commune, expressed interest in the traditional treatment methods of the natives and even documented some of them in 1837. They used E. angustifolia for this purpose. The historical records of the colonists provide evidence and clues about how the Indians used Echinacea.

The records mention two species of Echinacea: E. purpurea, which grows on the east coast of the USA, and E. angustifolia, which is found in the west. E. purpurea was the first species of Echinacea encountered by the colonists and the first one mentioned in botanical records. The second edition of 'Flora Virginica (L.T.Gronovius)' published in 1762 was the first source on Echinacea species. In 1830, Raffinesque reported that the Sioux Indians used Echinacea angustifolia to treat syphilis.

Although important researchers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries investigated and adopted Echinacea as a treatment method in the USA, it was mostly based on traditional use data and few clinical studies.

Germany has the most widespread use of Echinacea in Europe. In 1939, Dr Gerhald Madaus travelled to the USA to obtain E. angustifolia seeds for cultivation in Germany (Bown, 2002). However, it was later discovered that the seeds he brought back were actually E. purpurea due to a mistake. This error has since made E. purpurea the dominant species in the German herbal medicine market, which is the largest in Europe. However, the popularity of Echinacea has not been consistent. With the introduction of antibiotics in the 1930s and their near-perfect cure rate, interest in Echinacea naturally declined. This period, known as the 'Dark Age of Echinacea', lasted from 1930 to 1960. In the 1960s and 1970s, the research community shifted its focus to cancer. Scientists discovered that the immune system played a crucial role in controlling cancer cells, which led to the study of immunostimulant plants such as Echinacea. In the 1980s, due to concerns about the overuse of antibiotics, people began searching for herbal alternatives. This renewed interest in Echinacea has led to the publication of books and the introduction of new products. 

Echinacea preparations generate sales of almost 1 billion dollars in the Western world. Although not native to our country, it is cultivated in many regions.

General Botanical Properties

Echinacea belongs to the Asteraceae family and shares morphological characteristics with plants such as safflower, sunflower, and yam. The word Echinacea comes from the Greek word 'echinos', meaning sea urchin or hedgehog. The Echinacea genus is believed to have been named after its pointed, thorn-like flowers. It usually has a taproot system and an erect, sparsely branching stem. The leaves are directly attached to the stem with a petiole at the lower parts, and the flower heads are located at the extreme end of the stem. E. purpurea is a perennial herbaceous plant with these general characteristics. The stem of the Echinacea plant is stiff, strong, erect, and branched, and can reach a height of 60 to 180 cm. It may be hairy or glabrous. The basal leaves have saw-like teeth with sharp edges and a petiole length of about 25 cm. The stem leaves are sessile at the top and petiolate below, measuring 7 to 20 cm in length. The Echinacea genus is characterized by its spiny inflorescences and cone-shaped flower heads. The inflorescences of Echinacea have a lanceolate shape and can range in colour from white to pink to dark purple. The tubular florets can be red-brown or green. The leaves are either lanceolate or ovate. Echinacea, like other members of the Asteraceae family, has both fertile and sterile flowers with sepals and petals. It is a cross-pollinated plant with an achene fruit structure.

Echinacea species naturally grow in the region extending from the Atlantic Drainage region of the United States of America to central-southern Canada. They are cultivated worldwide due to their economic and medicinal significance.

Chemical Content of Echinacea purpurea Species

Due to the secondary metabolites contained in Echinacea species, these plants are also used for medicinal purposes. The metabolites in some parts of the economically important Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea pallida species are as follows:

Phenolic compounds; Phenylprepanoids; echinacoside, cichoric acid, caftaric acid, verbascoside, chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid, cinarin

Flavonoids; Rutoside, luteolin, kaempferol, quercetin, quercetagetin, apigenin, isorhamnetin

Essential oils; germacrene D, borneol, bornylacetate, caryophyllene, caryophyllene epoxide, and palmitic acid etc.

Lipid compounds; polyacetylenes

Nitrogenous compounds; Alkylamides, alkaloids

Polysaccharides; inulin etc.