Ⅰ、Echinacea Extract Introduction
Echinacea belongs to the genus Echinacea of the Asteraceae family, native to the Americas, with high medicinal value and is one of the most commonly used herbs in the world. As early as the 17th century, the original Native Americans discovered this miraculous herb, Echinacea, and utilized it in the treatment of toothaches, sore throats, snake venom, colds and infectious diseases. Nowadays, medical experts have also discovered the magic of this herb, and WHO has recognized the role of Echinacea in the prevention and treatment of colds and flu, while Academician Xiao Peigen, who is known as "the living dictionary of Chinese herbs" and "contemporary Li Shizhen", also believes that Echinacea is the most recognized antiviral herb in the world. The active ingredients of Echinacea are recognized by the world as antiviral herbs.
Echinacea extract's main ingredient, chicoric acid, is the most widely used medicinal plant and is commonly used for colds, toothaches, snake bites and other traumatic injuries. It has been used in the United States for many years as an alternative medicine to strengthen the immune system and clear the blood, especially during seasonal changes and cold and cough seasons. Echinacea was the most widely used medicinal plant by the Plains Indian tribes, generally for colds, toothaches, snake bites and other traumatic injuries. In 1887, it was introduced into the American system of holistic healing and touted for a wide range of ailments from colds to syphilis. Modern research on the herb began in Germany in the 1930s. It has been used for its hypoglycemic, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, antibacterial, anti-allergic, and uric acid-lowering properties. Chicoric acid inhibits hyaluronidase and HIV-1 integrase, and has been shown to have phagocytosis-promoting and antiviral activities in vitro and in vivo. Polysaccharides and caffeic acid derivatives of polyphenolic substances can increase granulocytes and leukocytes and enhance T-cell activity and phagocytosis of macrophages and enhance immunity, inhibit vitaminase to promote the secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone and inhibit influenza, herpes, and antibacterial, anti-infective effect. It can be used for influenza, trauma infections and many other diseases.
Ⅱ、Echinacea Active Ingredients
Echinacea extract is extracted from the leaves, stems and roots of Echinacea. Many of Echinacea's active ingredients are powerful immunostimulants that can provide significant therapeutic value. Some you may be familiar with are: polysaccharides, chicoric acid, flavonoids, derivatives of caffeic acid, essential oils, polyynes, alkylamines and alkaloids. Echinacea is a powerful plant that is currently thriving in the natural health market.
Ⅲ、How Echinacea Functions as an Immune Supplement
The chemical composition of Echinacea is very complex, and its main active ingredients include polar components (caffeic acid and its derivatives), non-polar components (alkylamides) and high molecular weight components such as polysaccharides and glycoproteins. The contents and effects of the active components of Echinacea differ greatly according to the origin, growth period, part and processing method.
Ⅳ、Echinacea and its extracts can enhance the immune function of the body in the following ways.
1. Improve the humoral immune function of animals by increasing the level of humoral antibody and the conversion rate of B lymphocytes in immune organs, thus promoting the growth and development of immune organs.
2. Directly acting on immune cells to enhance cellular immune function. Echinacea and its extracts can increase the number and activity of lymphocytes, induce interleukin-2 and γ-interferon content to rise, and significantly improve the level of cellular immunity.
3, Echinacea and its extracts can regulate Toll-like receptors. In 2017, Fu et al. found that Echinacea extracts polarize mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages to the phenotype of classically activated macrophages by activating the JNK signaling pathway, inducing macrophage activation and antigen presentation, and exerting its anti-infective function.
4、Polysaccharides and glycoproteins, the active ingredients of Echinacea purpurea, can promote the production and secretion of macrophages, γ-interferon, β-interferon, interleukin-2 and interleukin-6, and enhance the activity of respiratory outbursts, thus further enhancing phagocytosis and improving the immune function.
Ⅴ、Application of Echinacea extract
It can be used in anti-viral and immune-enhancing health products, such as tablets, capsules, drops, oral solution, pills and Echinacea tea. Common forms of raw materials include: powder extract, liquid extract, herbal medicine, etc.
In addition to Echinacea, herbs like Astragalus, Ginger, Schisandra, etc., can also play an important role in the enhancement of human immunity, and when used together with Echinacea, they can enhance the body's emergency defense in all aspects.
1.Application in Health Supplements.
As a dietary supplement to strengthen the immune system, anti-virus, shorten the duration of cold and flu, products in the market include Echinacea Complex Nutritional Tablets, Echinacea Drops, Echinacea Extract Capsules and so on.
2. Animal Health.
As feed additives for poultry and livestock, it can achieve the effect of preventing epidemic diseases, and at the same time can enhance and improve the immunity and resistance of poultry and livestock.
Ⅵ、Echinacea extract industry development status
China's Echinacea extract industry started in the 1990s, compared with Europe and the United States and other developed countries, China's Echinacea extract market size is small, and market recognition is low, the future development of the industry space is broad. With the increasing market recognition, the application of Echinacea extract is gradually expanding to the fields of health care products, food, feed, cosmetics, dietary supplements, etc. The common Echinacea dietary supplements in the market are Echinacea compound nutritional tablets, Echinacea extract capsules, Echinacea drops, etc. At present, Echinacea is widely used in many places in China. At present, Echinacea has been successfully planted in many places in China and has formed a certain scale of cultivation, and the variety of Echinacea extract products is also increasing. Accompanied by domestic consumption upgrading, as well as the change of residents' consumption concepts, China's food consumption presents the development trend of health, functionalization and safety, in this context, plant extracts become the new wave of the market. China is a global exporting country of plant extracts, and in 2019, the export value of plant extracts in China reached 2.42 billion U.S. dollars. Since the new crown epidemic, the residents' concern for physical health continues to increase, the United States Echinacea and extract product sales increased significantly, China as one of the main exporters of Echinacea extract, in 2020, China's Echinacea extract export volume
If you would like to learn more, please contact sales@sxytbio.com，Click here to contact us online
