Echinacea increases arginase activity and has anti-inflammatory properties in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells, indicative of alternative macrophage activation.
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Aerial reproductive structures of vascular plants as a microhabitat for myxomycetes.
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This study explored the occurrence and distribution of myxomycete species on the aerial reproductive structures of vascular plants. Eight species of vascular plants representing five families were sampled. The doubled rope climbing method was used to collect bark and cones from the canopy of Pinus echinata. Bark and aerial seed pods were gathered from Cercis canadensis, follicles and stems from Asclepias syriaca, dried composite inflorescences and stems from Echinacea angustifolia, E. pallida, and E. paradoxa var. paradoxa, and capsules and stems from Yucca glauca and Y. smalliana. Reproductive structures and bark/stems for 202 host plants were separated and cultured in 541 moist chambers, resulting in 118 collections yielding 32 myxomycete species representing 11 genera, seven families and five orders. There was no significant difference in pH values of the reproductive structures and bark/stems of the host plants, however legume pods of C. canadensis (6.9 +/- 1.3) had higher pH than the bark (6.0 +/- 1.1) and had a different composition of myxomycete species. Myxomycete orders have optimal pH ranges. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling, multiresponse permutation procedure and indicator species analysis showed a significant difference in species richness of reproductive structures and bark/stems. The bark of trees had greater mean species richness of myxomycetes than the reproductive structures, but the reproductive structures of herbaceous plants had greater mean species richness of myxomycetes than the stems. A new term, herbicolous myxomycetes, is proposed for a group of myxomycetes frequently associated with herbaceous, perennial, grassland plants. An undescribed species of Arcyria occurred only on cones of P. echinata. (+info)
Induction of tetraploids from petiole explants through colchicine treatments in Echinacea purpurea L.
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Echinacea/sage or chlorhexidine/lidocaine for treating acute sore throats: a randomized double-blind trial.
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BACKGROUND: The aim of this trial was to assess the relative efficacy of a sage/echinacea spray and a chlorhexidine/lidocaine spray in the treatment of acute sore throats. METHODS: This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy controlled trial carried out in eleven general practices in Switzerland. A total of 154 patients (133 analyzed in per protocol collective) at least 12 years old with acute sore throat present for not more than 72 hours prior to inclusion and with a throat score >/=6 participated in the study. They used either an echinacea/sage spray or a chlorhexidine/ lidocaine spray with two puffs every 2 hours, in a double-dummy blinded manner, up to 10 times daily until they were symptom-free, for a maximum of 5 days. The main outcome measures was the comparison of response rates during the first three days. A response was defined as a decrease of at least 50% of the total symptoms compared to baseline. RESULTS: The echinacea/sage treatment exhibited similar efficacy to the chlorhexidine/lidocaine treatment in reducing sore throat symptoms during the first 3 days (P(x+info)
Endogenous levels of Echinacea alkylamides and ketones are important contributors to the inhibition of prostaglandin E2 and nitric oxide production in cultured macrophages.
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