Omnia SanaPlant Comparison
Purple coneflower vs Wild Lettuce
A side-by-side comparison of two medicinal plants — every documented constituent, action, use, safety note and cited source, assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana database.
At a glance
Purple coneflower and Wild Lettuce: both belong to the Asteraceae family.
Key Constituents
Lipophilic alkamides are considered key immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory constituents, particularly concentrated in the root.
Antioxidant phenolic compounds contributing to the plant's immunomodulatory activity.
Water-soluble polysaccharides associated with immune-stimulating activity, particularly from the aerial parts.
Bitter, centrally-active constituents responsible for the sedative and pain-relieving effects; isolated lactucin and lactucopicrin produced analgesia comparable to ibuprofen and sedation in rodent tests.
The historical medicinal preparation, concentrating the active lactones.
Pharmacological Actions
Mild analgesic / anodyne for pain (lactucin and lactucopicrin act on the central nervous system) - in mice these compounds produced analgesia comparable to ibuprofen
Calming for nervous tension and restlessness
Traditional & Indicated Uses
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from immunomodulator action
inferred from antimicrobial action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Antitussive for an irritable, dry cough (traditional)
Sedative for sleeplessness / insomnia - lactucin and lactucopicrin showed sedative activity in animal models
Calming for nervous tension and restlessness
Mild analgesic / anodyne for pain (lactucin and lactucopicrin act on the central nervous system) - in mice these compounds produced analgesia comparable to ibuprofen
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
Generally considered safe, but caution advised for those with autoimmune conditions. Not recommended for long-term use (more than 8 weeks continuously).
Duke (2002) rates echinacea as +++ — among the most thoroughly documented herbal immunostimulants. It notes experimental and clinical evidence for immunostimulant, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory activities. Multiple species have been studied (E. purpurea, E. angustifolia, E. pallida), and Duke emphasizes that species identification in commercial products is often unreliable. Commission E approves E. purpurea for supporting immune function during colds and flu. Dose: 900 mg standardized extract daily in acute use; use should be limited to 8 weeks continuous. Contraindicated in autoimmune diseases (MS, lupus, HIV/AIDS), tuberculosis, and with immunosuppressive drugs (cyclosporine) (Duke, 2002).
Can be unsafe in large amounts or if harvested too early: overdose can cause sweating, fast heartbeat, dilated pupils, dizziness, ringing in the ears, vision changes, heavy sedation, breathing difficulty and, in extreme cases, death.
External Ids
Botanical Description
Robust perennial herb with a basal rosette of coarse, hairy, lance-shaped leaves and tall, sturdy flowering stems. Each stem bears a single large, daisy-like flower head with drooping (reflexed), rose-purple to pink ray florets surrounding a prominent, spiny, orange-brown central cone of disc florets.[4]
Tall, bristly biennial herb with a milky latex throughout, and prickly-edged, often blue-green leaves that tend to twist to align edge-on with the sun ('compass plant' habit). Small, pale yellow, dandelion-like flower heads are borne in loose branched clusters atop a tall, spiny-stemmed flowering stalk.[11]
Habitat
Native to the tallgrass prairies, open woodland and dry meadows of central and eastern North America; widely cultivated worldwide as a garden and medicinal plant.[4]
Grows on dry waste ground, roadsides, hedgerows and disturbed soil; native to Europe, North Africa and Western Asia and naturalised in North America.
Harvesting
The flower heads are picked as they open, in summer; the root is dug in autumn from plants at least two to three years old, when its content of bioactive alkamides and caffeic acid derivatives is highest, then cleaned and dried.[4]
The milky latex is traditionally collected by scoring the flowering stem and letting the exuded sap dry into lactucarium; the aerial parts (leaf and stem) are also cut and dried while the plant is flowering.[11]
Traditional Uses
Echinacea root was widely used by Native American peoples as a remedy for infections, wounds, snakebite and toothache, and entered nineteenth-century Eclectic medicine as a broad anti-infective. It remains best known today, in standardised aerial-part or root extracts, as a supportive remedy for preventing and shortening the common cold and supporting immune function.[1, 4]
Wild lettuce has a long folk history, reflected in the name 'opium lettuce', as a mild sedative and analgesic remedy for insomnia, nervous tension and pain, and as an antitussive for irritable dry cough, its dried latex (lactucarium) once used as a milder, non-addictive alternative to opium.[11]
Preparations
Fresh-pressed juice or standardised extract of the aerial parts or root, taken as tablets, drops or capsules at the first sign of a cold; the best-studied clinical form.
Dosage
Clinical trials for the common cold commonly use around 300-900 mg of standardised extract daily, started at the first sign of symptoms and continued for up to 7-10 days; continuous use beyond about 8 weeks is not recommended. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
Because of documented overdose toxicity (rapid heartbeat, heavy sedation, breathing difficulty), only conservative traditional herbal doses should be used and this herb should not be self-dosed at concentrated or extract strength without professional guidance. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
References
Drug Class Interactions
Lookalikes Review
References & Sources
- Karsch-Völk, M., Barrett, B., Kiefer, D., Bauer, R. et al (2014) 'Echinacea for preventing and treating the common cold', Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2(2), pp. CD000530. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000530.pub3 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD000530.pub3 - Kamin, W., Seifert, G., Zwiauer, K., Bonhoeffer, J. et al (2025) 'Phytotherapy for acute respiratory tract infections in children: a systematically conducted, comprehensive review', Frontiers in Pediatrics, 13, pp. 1423250. doi:10.3389/fped.2025.1423250 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2025.1423250 - Fashner, J., Ericson, K. and Werner, S (2012) 'Treatment of the common cold in children and adults', American Family Physician, 86(2), pp. 153-159. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22962927/ Traditional / reference
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22962927/ - Manayi, A., Vazirian, M. and Saeidnia, S (2015) 'Echinacea purpurea: Pharmacology, phytochemistry and analysis methods', Pharmacognosy Reviews, 9(17), pp. 63-72. doi:10.4103/0973-7847.156353 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-7847.156353 - Burlou-Nagy, C., Banica, F., Jurca, T., Vicas, L.G., Marian, E., Muresan, M.E., Bacskay, I., Kiss, R., Feher, P. and Pallag, A (2022) 'Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench: Biological and Pharmacological Properties. A Review', Plants, 11(9), pp. 1244. doi:10.3390/plants11091244 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11091244 - Hall, H., Fahlman, M.M. and Engels, H.J (2007) 'Echinacea purpurea and mucosal immunity', International Journal of Sports Medicine, 28(9), pp. 792-797. doi:10.1055/s-2007-964895 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2007-964895 - Ross, S.M (2016) 'Echinacea purpurea: A Proprietary Extract of Echinacea purpurea Is Shown to be Safe and Effective in the Prevention of the Common Cold', Holistic Nursing Practice, 30(1), pp. 54-57. doi:10.1097/HNP.0000000000000130 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1097/HNP.0000000000000130 - Hudson, J.B (2011) 'Applications of the phytomedicine Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower) in infectious diseases', Journal of Biomedicine & Biotechnology, 2012, pp. 769896. doi:10.1155/2012/769896 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/769896 - Mishima, S., Saito, K., Maruyama, H., Inoue, M., Yamashita, T., Ishida, T. and Gu, Y (2004) 'Antioxidant and immuno-enhancing effects of Echinacea purpurea', Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 27(7), pp. 1004-1009. doi:10.1248/bpb.27.1004 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1248/bpb.27.1004 - Saunders, P.R., Smith, F. and Schusky, R.W (2007) 'Echinacea purpurea L. in children: safety, tolerability, compliance, and clinical effectiveness in upper respiratory tract infections', Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 85(11), pp. 1195-1199. doi:10.1139/Y07-103 Clinical study
https://doi.org/10.1139/Y07-103 - Micheli, L., Maggini, V., Ciampi, C., Gallo, E., Bogani, P., Fani, R., Pistelli, L., Ghelardini, C., Di Cesare Mannelli, L., De Leo, M. and Firenzuoli, F (2022) 'Echinacea purpurea against neuropathic pain: Alkamides versus polyphenols efficacy', Phytotherapy Research, 37(5), pp. 1911-1923. doi:10.1002/ptr.7709 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.7709 - Gholami, M., Amri, J., Pazhoohan, S. and Sadegh, M (2021) 'Anticonvulsive and anti-epileptogenesis effects of Echinacea purpurea root extract, an involvement of CB2 receptor', Journal of Complementary & Integrative Medicine, 19(4), pp. 879-886. doi:10.1515/jcim-2020-0219 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1515/jcim-2020-0219 - Awortwe, C., Bruckmueller, H., Kaehler, M. and Cascorbi, I (2021) 'Interaction of Phytocompounds of Echinacea purpurea with ABCB1 and ABCG2 Efflux Transporters', Molecular Pharmaceutics, 18(4), pp. 1622-1633. doi:10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.0c01075 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.0c01075 - Perry, N.B., van Klink, J.W., Burgess, E.J. and Parmenter, G.A (1997) 'Alkamide levels in Echinacea purpurea: a rapid analytical method revealing differences among roots, rhizomes, stems, leaves and flowers', Planta Medica, 63(1), pp. 58-62. doi:10.1055/s-2006-957605 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2006-957605 - Linde, K., Barrett, B., Wölkart, K., Bauer, R. and Melchart, D (2006) 'Echinacea for preventing and treating the common cold'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Echinacea%20for%20preventing%20and%20treating%20the%20common%20cold - Sharma, M., Schoop, R., Suter, A. and Schoop, W (2010) 'The possibility of prophylactic treatment of streptococcal pharyngotonsillitis with a standardized Echinacea preparation', 29(8), pp. 1025--1035. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=The%20possibility%20of%20prophylactic%20treatment%20of%20streptococcal%20pharyngotonsillitis%20with%20a%20standardized%20Echinacea%20preparation - World Health Organization (1999) 'WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=WHO%20Monographs%20on%20Selected%20Medicinal%20Plants - Duke, J.A (2002) 'Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Handbook%20of%20Medicinal%20Herbs%2C%20Second%20Edition - Gorski, J.C., Huang, S.M., Pinto, A., Hamman, M.A., Hilligoss, J.K., Zaheer, N.A., Desai, M., Miller, M. and Hall, S.D (2004) 'The effect of echinacea (Echinacea purpurea root) on cytochrome P450 activity in vivo', Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 75(1), pp. 89-100. doi:10.1016/j.clpt.2003.09.013 Clinical study
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clpt.2003.09.013
- Ullah, M.I., Anwar, R., Kamran, S., Gul, B. et al (2022) 'Evaluation of the Anxiolytic and Anti-Epileptogenic Potential of Lactuca serriola Seed Using Pentylenetetrazol-Induced Kindling in Mice and Metabolic Profiling of Its Bioactive Extract', Antioxidants (Basel), 11(11), pp. 2232. doi:10.3390/antiox11112232 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox11112232 - Lee, M., Park, J., Cho, W., Jun, Y. et al (2024) 'Lactuca L. Extract Enhances Sleep Duration Through Upregulation of Adenosine A1 Receptor and GABA-A Receptor Subunits in Pentobarbital-Injected Mice', Journal of Medicinal Food, 27(7), pp. 661-668. doi:10.1089/jmf.2023.K.0250 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2023.K.0250 - Paulsen, E. and Andersen, K.E (2015) 'Lettuce contact allergy', Contact Dermatitis, 74(2), pp. 67-75. doi:10.1111/cod.12458 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1111/cod.12458 - Wesolowska, A., Nikiforuk, A., Michalska, K., Kisiel, W. and Chojnacka-Wojcik, E (2006) 'Analgesic and sedative activities of lactucin and some lactucin-like guaianolides in mice', Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 107(2), pp. 254--258. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2006.03.003 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2006.03.003 - Gumprecht, T (1815) 'On the use of the Lactuca Virosa, in Hooping-Cough', Medico-Chirurgical Transactions, 6, pp. 608-617. doi:10.1177/095952871500600125 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1177/095952871500600125 - Trojanowska, A (2005) 'Lettuce, Lactuca sp., as a medicinal plant in Polish publications of the 19th century', Kwartalnik Historii Nauki i Techniki, 50(3-4), pp. 123-134. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Lettuce%2C%20Lactuca%20sp.%2C%20as%20a%20medicinal%20plant%20in%20Polish%20publications%20of%20the%2019th%20century - Spadari, M., Pommier, P., Canioni, D., Arditti, J., David, J.M. and Valli, M (2003) 'Abuse of Lactuca virosa', Presse Medicale, 32(15), pp. 702-703. Preclinical
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Abuse%20of%20Lactuca%20virosa - Lo Faro, A.F., Di Trana, A., La Maida, N., Tagliabracci, A., Giorgetti, R. and Busardo, F.P (2019) 'Biomedical analysis of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) of natural origin', Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 179, pp. 112945. doi:10.1016/j.jpba.2019.112945 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpba.2019.112945 - Besharat, S., Besharat, M. and Jabbari, A (2009) 'Wild lettuce (Lactuca virosa) toxicity', BMJ Case Reports, 2009, pp. bcr0620080134. doi:10.1136/bcr.06.2008.0134 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr.06.2008.0134 - Stojakowska, A., Malarz, J. and Kisiel, W (1994) 'Sesquiterpene Lactones in Tissue Culture of Lactuca virosa', Planta Medica, 60(1), pp. 93-94. doi:10.1055/s-2006-959419 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2006-959419 - Herbal Reality (n.d.) 'Wild Lettuce (Lactuca virosa): Benefits, Uses, Safety'. Available at: https://www.herbalreality.com/herb/wild-lettuce/ Traditional / reference
https://www.herbalreality.com/herb/wild-lettuce/ - RxList (n.d.) 'Wild Lettuce: Health Benefits, Side Effects, Uses, Dose & Precautions'. Available at: https://www.rxlist.com/supplements/wild_lettuce.htm Traditional / reference
https://www.rxlist.com/supplements/wild_lettuce.htm - Ghasemzadeh Rahbardar, M. and Hosseinzadeh, H (2024) 'Therapeutic potential of hypnotic herbal medicines: A comprehensive review', Phytotherapy Research, 38(6), pp. 3037-3059. doi:10.1002/ptr.8201 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.8201 - Block, K.I., Gyllenhaal, C. and Mead, M.N (2004) 'Safety and efficacy of herbal sedatives in cancer care', Integrative Cancer Therapies, 3(2), pp. 128-148. doi:10.1177/1534735404265003 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1177/1534735404265003
Generated automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database and its cited sources. For educational purposes only — not medical advice. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using medicinal plants.