Omnia SanaCommon names in 19 European languages →
The complete database record: 3 documented constituents, 3 pharmacological actions, 7 traditional / indicated uses, with 21 cited sources.
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]
Habitat & Distribution
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]
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]
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.
Pharmacological Actions
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
inferred from antimicrobial action
Traditional Use & History
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]
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.
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).
Herb-Drug Interactions
Harvest Readiness
[15]
External Identifiers
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 - Plants For A Future 'Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)'. Available at: https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Echinacea+purpurea Traditional / reference
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Echinacea+purpurea - Wikipedia contributors 'Echinacea purpurea'. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinacea_purpurea Traditional / reference
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinacea_purpurea - 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
Selected studies & references
All 19 studies in the Knowledge Finder →
This profile is assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database, which we curate by hand. How this site is built.