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| the gastrointestinal tract and do not make it into the blood intact. Therefore, marketing a product based on its being rich in polysaccharides is of limited pharmacological value. |
| Subsequent research has revealed that the medicinal activity of echinacea is not solely correlated to polysaccharides but rather is due to the broad spectrum of constituents contained within the plant. Moreover, it is now considered that the polysaccha-rides may contribute little to the overall immune-stimulating effects in oral preparations.8 Nevertheless, confusion in the marketplace persists. |
| Other species of echinacea: A few additional species of echinacea have been used medicinally and studied pharmacologically. These include E. tennesseensis, E. atrorubens, E. simulata and E. paradoxa. Some pharmacological and chemical study has been conducted on these other species to determine their potential medicinal value. The chemical profile of E. simulata and E. paradoxa was found very similar to that of E. pallida and E. angustifolia, containing the alkamides, ketoalkenynes and echinacoside.35 From a taste test, E. atrorubens has an organoleptic alkamide profile similar to that of E. pallida and E. angustifolia. |
| In my opinion, based solely on my own therapeutic experience, I consider the roots of E. angustifolia and E. pallida interchangeable for most of the uses attributed to echinacea, and favor these over the leaf juice and roots of E. purpurea. When other factors are considered, such as the fact that E. angustifolia and E. pallida are being overharvested in the wild, I have to strongly recommend that organically cultivated E. purpurea be used more frequently until ade- |
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