• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.48-56
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• 2005

We studied the protective effect of Echinacea purpurea against radiation by evaluating changes in the peripheral blood cell count and peripheral blood antioxidant activity. Echinacea purpurea administration had a suppressive effect on radiation-induced leukopenia, especially on lymphocytes and monocytes and resulted in a faster recovery of blood cell counts. Mouse peripheral blood antioxidant activity was increased by Echinacea purpurea, and a relationship between the suppressive effect on radiation-induced leukopenia and the antioxidant effect was suggested.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.163-170
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• 2004

The effect of immune activation by Echinacea purpurea was investigated by measuring total immunoglobulin (Ig) G, IgM. and the radioprotective effect of immune activation by Echinacea purpurea was investigated by measuring T lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood of mice following whole body irradiation. Echinacea purpurea activated macrophages to stimulate $IFN-{\gamma}$ production in association with the secondary activation of T lymphocytes, resulting in a decrease in IgG and IgM production. Cytokines released from macrophages in mouse peripheral blood after Echinacea purpurea administration activated helper T cells to proliferate. In addition, activated macrophages in association with the secondary T lymphocyte activation increased $IFN-{\gamma}$ production and stimulated proliferation of cytotoxic T cells and suppressor T cells, indicating the activation of cell-mediated immune responses.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 2022

Echinacea purpurea (Asteraceae family) is widely used in the European countries and the United States due to its proven immune enhancement and anti-inflammatory effects. Echinacea purpurea has been reported prevent and treat upper respiratory tract infections and common cold, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not well understood. In the present study, we examined the anti-inflammatory effects and molecular mechanisms of Echinacea purpurea (EP) extract using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated signal pathways in RAW264.7 cells. Our results suggest that EP extract exerts anti-inflammatory effects by down-regulating the expression of LPS-induced toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), subsequently inhibiting the activation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways and suppression of the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These results suggest that EP extract is a potential therapeutic agent for inflammatory diseases.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.137-142
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• 2008

Echinacea purpurea, an indian traditional plant medicine has been widely used as herbal remedy for the treatment of disease such as colds or other infections. However, Echinacea purpurea extracts recently have been applied as a cosmetic ingredient for skin care. We artificially cultured Echinacea purpurea by using the bioreactor culture system for this study. We induced callus from Echinacea purpurea and separated adventitious roots, harvested and extracted after cultured in bioreactors. Previously, several studies have been reported on anti-oxidant and immuno-enhancing effects of Echinacea purpurea extract but other efficacies were not well known. In this study, we investigated the whitening, anti-wrinkle and anti-oxidant effects to know applicable value of tissue-cultured Echinacea purpurea adventitious roots extract(TCEPARE) as a cosmetic ingredient. TCEPARE did not show cytotoxicity until a concentration of 2% and showed the anti-oxidative effect in DPPH and NBT tests. Also, the extract decreased tyrosinase expression in a dose-dependent manner and inhibited melanin synthesis in B16 melanoma cells. TCEPARE reduced protein levels of MMP-1, 2 secreted in culture medium or in cell lysates. From these results we suggest that TCEPARE has potential benefits applicable as to cosmetic ingredient for skin care products.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.124-132
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• 2015

Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench (purple cone flower) is an important medicinal plant; it can enhance immunity, relieve pain, and reduce inflammation, and also has hormonal, antiviral, and antioxidant effects. Adventitious root biomass of Echinacea purpurea was produced in commercial-scale bioreactors for use as a dietary supplement in the food industry and in traditional medicine. Biosafety and toxicological evaluations of tissue-cultured Echinacea purpurea adventitious roots (TCEPARs) were performed. Reverse mutation and chromosomal aberration tests showed no significant mutagenicity. Furthermore, repeated four-week oral dose tests performed in Sprague-Dawley rats did not show any notable changes in the general behavior of the rats, in the gross appearance of their internal organs, or in their mortality rate. There were no differences between the control group and the treatment group in parameters such as absolute body weight, hematology, blood chemistry, and absolute and relative organ weights. These findings indicate that TCEPARs are safe and nontoxic when consumed at an average dietary level and can be used as raw material for traditional medicine and the food industry.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.107-111
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• 2009

This experiment was conducted to select optimum hydroponic systems for clean and mass production for shoot and root of Echinacea. E. purpurea and E. angustifolia. were grown at 5 different kinds of hydroponic systems; NFT, modified NFT, DFT, aeroponics, and Ebb & Flow for 150 days. The lowest photosynthetic rate and transpiration rate were in Ebb & Flow system in E. purpurea and E. angustifolia at 120 days after transplanting. The shoot fresh and dry weight were high in aeroponic and DFT system of E. angustifolia and in aeroponic and NFT system of E. purpurea at 150 days after transplanting. The root fresh and dry weight of both species were the highest in aeroponic system and next to modified NFT system. They were increased in NFT and Ebb & Flow system for the root length and in aeroponic system for the number of tillering. The results demonstrate that aeroponic system was the most effective for enhancement shoot and root biomass of Echinacea spp. in hydroponics.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.309-314
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• 2004

The cytotoxic effects of water and ethanol extracts of Echinacea purpurea (L.) (EP) and chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol and aqueous fractions from each extract of EP were examined. Every extract and fraction of EP inhibited the growth of human hepatocarcinoma, human gastric cancer cell, human breast cancer cells and human lung carcunoma in concentration-dependent manners over a concentration range of $0.05{\sim}1.0\;mg/ml$. Most extracts and fractions with the concentraction of 1 mg/ml showed strong inhibition of more than 70% for every cancer cell. Only aqueous fractions of each extract showed very weak inhibitons of 12 to 25% on the growth of human normal lung cell with the concentration of 1 mg/ml. Overall selectivity of the extrats and fractions on the four human cancer cell lines was over 2.5. These results indicate that EP has a very potent selective toxicity for cancer cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Biotechnology Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.184-184
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• 2003

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.51-57
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• 2002

The biological activities of immune modulating activities of the extracts from Echinacea purpurea, Chrysanthmum indicum L. and Circium japonicum var. ussuriense KITAMURA were compared. About 70% of the growth of human hepatocarcinoma and 80% of human gastric cancer cell was inhibited in adding 0.5mg/ml of the ethanol extracts of Echinacea purpurea, Chrysanthmum indicum L. and Circium japonicum var. ussuriense KITAMURA, respectively. The growth of human breast cancer cells was also inhibited in adding 0.5mg/ml of the extracts as well as 60% of the human cancer cells. It was proved that the growth of human normal lung cell, scored as 15% for the extracts. Overall selectivity of the extracts on several human cancer cell line was over 3, which is higher than those from the conventional herbs. The growth of both human immune B and T cells was enhanced up to 1.4 to 2.0 times by adding the extracts, compared to the controls. The secretion of tumor necrosis $factor-alpha(TNF-{\alpha})$ from T cell was also increased up to 94 pg/ml in adding the Echinacea purpurea ethanol extract (0.5mg/ml). Circium japonicum var. ethanol extract also increased up to about 96 pg/ml of interleukin-6(IL-6) from B cell.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.337-343
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• 2020

During the extensive forays for discovering the biodiversity of phytopathogenic fungi in Korea, powdery mildew-affected purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) were frequently found. Since 2004, nine samples have been deposited in the Korea University Herbarium. The initial symptoms include white, evanescent mycelia and irregular patches on mature leaves. Mild symptoms in the form of discolored lesions are also noticed on the stem and petal of the affected plants. Based on the morphological characteristics of the anamorph and the phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) rDNA sequences, the causal fungus was identified as Podosphaera xanthii. This is the first report that identifies the causal agent of powdery mildew disease affecting purple coneflower in Korea.