The effect of Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench extract on experimental prostate hyperplasia

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea L. Moench) on the prostate gland of rats using an experimental model of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). The animals were administered 50 mg/kg of extract preparation for 4 and 8 weeks and the prostate mass and structural degenerative changes were evaluated in the course of the experiment. The administration of E. purpurea extract to rats with hyperplasia for 4 and 8 weeks gradually and significantly reduced the prostate mass and reversed the degenerative changes in the structure of the prostate gland. The present investigation suggests extract of purple coneflower prevents the development of BPH. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization of an arabinogalactan protein from the pressed juice of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Echinacea purpurea</Emphasis>: investigations into the type of linkage between the protein and polysaccharide moieties

A high molecular weight arabinogalactan protein (AGP) from the pressed juice of Echinacea purpurea, known to exhibit immunomodulatory properties in vitro, was characterized. Alkaline hydrolysis was carried out, leading to degradation of the protein core and to carbohydrate moieties linked to the amino acid responsible for binding. Gel permeation chromatography of these AG subunits gave one peak with a molecular weight of 30 × 10³ Da. Hydroxyproline (42.9% w/w) was detected as the dominant amino acid after alkaline hydrolysis and was thus identified as the major amino acid responsible for the binding between the protein and the AG subunits via an O-glycosidic linkage. Large amounts of glutamine/glutamic acid (24.5% w/w) and asparagine/aspartic acid (17.3% w/w) were also found. Polyclonal antibodies raised against the intact AGP were shown to bind to the AG subunits too, indicating that the epitopes responsible for such interactions are localized in the polysaccharide moiety of the AGP.     

松果菊润喉片的免疫药理学研究

目的 观察松果菊润喉片对小鼠免疫功能及其化痰的影响。方法 进行免疫及化痰实验。结果 松果菊润喉片能增强小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞碳粒廓清速度,促进抗体(溶血素)水平的产生,促进二硝基氯苯所引发的迟发性变态性反应的足趾肿胀;对气管黏膜排泄酚红有明显促进作用。结论 松果菊润喉片有促进排痰、提高机体免疫功能的作用。     

紫锥菊的形态学性状、分布高度与质量相关性研究

目的:探讨紫锥菊形态学、分布高度与内在质量的相关性,为优良品种的选育积累资料。方法:测量不同表型紫锥菊样品的形态学性状数据,采用高效液相色谱法测定样品中咖啡酸衍生物的含量,用比色法测定样品中总多酚的含量,并对样品形态学性状与质量进行相关性分析。结果:不同表型紫锥菊样品在形态学性状与质量上均存在差异:(1)各有效成分含量几乎均与植株的海拔高度成负相关,尤以菊苣酸显著。(2)形态学性状中,咖啡酸含量与株高、花序托高度之间呈正相关;绿原酸含量与花序托高度之间呈正相关;单咖啡酰酒石酸含量与株高呈正相关;菊苣酸含量与花序托高宽比呈正相关。结论:高海拔不利于紫锥菊有效成分的积累;株高、花序托高度与花序托高宽比可作为初步判断紫锥菊药材质量的表型性状。本试验可为田间紫锥菊优良种质的筛选提供理论基础。     

聚酰胺对紫锥菊提取物中菊苣酸的分离纯化研究

目的采用聚酰胺柱色谱分离纯化紫锥菊提取物中菊苣酸。方法采用50%乙醇溶液洗脱,HPLC法对产品中菊苣酸进行检测分析。结果该法能把紫锥菊提取物中菊苣酸的质量分数(4.9%)提高10倍左右,回收率达到98%以上。结论该法操作简单,可用于紫锥菊提取物中菊苣酸的分离纯化。     

GC-MS analysis of the lipophilic principles of Echinacea purpurea and evaluation of cucumber mosaic cucumovirus infection

An analytical GC–MS method based on nonpolar fused silica capillary column was developed to analyze the lipophilic constituents, mainly alkamides, from the root extracts of Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench. In particular, the proposed method was applied to evaluate the phytochemical impacts of cucumber mosaic cucumovirus (CMV) infection on the plant's lipophilic marker phytochemicals. Methanolic (70% v/v) extracts, obtained from root materials by ultrasonic treatments, were subjected to liquid–liquid extraction with n-hexane-ethyl acetate (1:1 v/v) to recover the lipophilic, volatile to semivolatile, principles. Seventeen components, including the 11 alkamides known to E. purpurea roots, were identified in the GC–MS traces of the analyzed fractions and efficiently separated in a turnaround time of 25 min. CMV infection was found to be responsible for significant variations in the relative compositions of the major constituents, in particular germacrene D, Dodeca-2E, 4E, 8Z, 10Z(E)-tetraenoic acid isobutylamide cis/trans isomers, Undeca-2Z, 4E-diene-8, 10-diynoic acid isobutylamide and Dodeca-2E, 4Z-diene-8, 10-diynoic acid isobutylamide.     

Polysaccharides isolated from Echinacea purpurea herba cell cultures to counteract undesired effects of chemotherapy--a pilot study

In an open prospective study with matched historical controls we aimed to evaluate whether a polysaccharide fraction isolated from the herb Echinacea purpurea could counteract the undesired effects of chemotherapy. Fifteen patients with advanced gastric cancer undergoing palliative chemotherapy with etoposide, leucovorin and 5-fluorouracil (ELF) received for 10 days (beginning 3 days before chemotherapy) daily i.v. injections of 2 mg of a polysaccharide fraction isolated from Echinacea purpurea herb cell cultures (EPS-EPO VIIa). The median number of leukocytes 14-16 days after chemotherapy was 3630/microL (range 1470-5770) in the patients receiving EPS-EPO VIIa compared with 2370/microL (870-3950) in the patients of the historical control group (p = 0.015). EPS-EPO VIIa had no clinically relevant effects on phagocytic activity of granulocytes or on lymphocyte subpopulations. Sixty-eight adverse events including two deaths were observed, most likely due to chemotherapy and the general condition of the patients. However, an association with the test intervention cannot be ruled out completely. The results of this pilot study suggest that EPS-EPO VIIa might be effective in reducing chemotherapy-induced leukopenia. The efficacy and safety should be investigated in further studies.     

松果菊属3种药用植物的DNA分子鉴别研究

目的：对松果菊属3种药用植物进行DNA指纹图谱鉴别，筛选出稳定的鉴别引物。方法：RAPD。结果：共筛选随机引物160个，3种松果菊中，狭叶松果菊与淡紫松果菊的RAPD图谱极其相似，难以区分。最终仅筛选得到一个可用于鉴别的随机引物H07。结论：引物H07可用于3种松果菊的原植物与药材鉴别，狭叶松果菊与淡紫松果菊具有明显较近的亲缘关系。     

MULTIPLE IMMUNE FUNCTIONS IN RATS FED ECHINACEA EXTRACTS

This study evaluated acquired-immune functions representing the three major branches of the immune system in male rats fed a commercially available echinacea product. An additional comparison of effects on antibody formation in male and female rats was done using the commercial echinacea product and two echinacea tinctures marketed by local herbalists. In initial testing, we found no evidence of altered natural killer cell activity, T cell-mediated delayed-type hypersensitivity, or specific antibody formation in male rats given either a 225 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg of the commercial echinacea for 6 weeks. Antibody formation was significantly suppressed in female but not male rats given 250 mg/kg for 2 weeks of the commercial echinacea. The local products tested had no effect on antibody formation. We concluded that our study provided no supporting evidence for immunostimulatory activity by the echinacea preparations we examined and, in fact, may be immunosuppressive under some conditions.