Echinacea angustifolia

Echinacea angustifolia [Image]. [2014]. Retrieved from: http://netherbs.com/?page_id=75

Common name: 
Echinacea
(Hoffman, 1983, p. 191).  

Latin binomial:
Echinacea angustifolia
(Hoffman, 1983, p. 191).  

Family: 

Compositae
(Bone, 2003, p. 185)

Parts used:
Cone flower
(Bone, 2003, p. 185)

Active constituents:

• Volatile oils
• Glycosides
• Echinaceine
• Phenolics

(Hoffman, 1983, p. 191). 

Actions:

• Immune modulating
• Immune inhancing
• Depurative
• Anti-inflammatory
• Vulnerary
• Lymphatic
• Sialagogue 

(Bone, 2003, p.185)

Indications:

• Treating and preventing URT infections
• Treating and preventing infections in general
• Enhancing immune responses in health people
• nasphyngeal catarrh, respiratory catarrah, chronic bronchitis
• Sinusitis
• Therapy for cancer
• Absesses, boils, poorly healing wounds, eczema, psoriasis, mouth ulcers, skin and glandular inflammations
  

(Bone, 2003, p.185)

Contraindications: 
Avoid with known allergy 
(Bone, 2003, p.185)

Cautions:

cautioned for patients who are having a transplant and taking immunosuppressive drugs. 
(Bone, 2003, p.185)

Dosage:

• Liquid extract: 3-6 ml of 1:2 per day or 20-40 ml of 1:2 per week (Bone, 2003, p.185)
• Decoction: 1-2 teaspoons of the root in one cup of water and slowly bring to the boil, simmer for 15-20 minutes, drink 3 times daily (Hoffman, 1983, p. 191)
• Tincture: 1-4 ml, 3 times daily (Hoffman, 1983, p. 191)

Combinations: 

• Known to be very useful and combined with many herbs (Hoffman, 1983, p. 191)
• For sinusitis it is combined with Thuja and Baptisia (Bone, 2003, p.185)

References: 

Bone, K. (2003) A clinical guide to blending liquid herbs; herbal formulations for the individual patient. Churchill, Livingstone: Missouri.

Hoffman, D. (1983) The holistic herbal. Element books: Dorset.