Echinacea Angustifolia Research Articles

Mating between Echinacea angustifolia (Asteraceae) individuals increases with their flowering synchrony and spatial proximity

Although spatial distance is considered the primary factor in determining plant mating patterns, flowering time and synchrony are also likely to be important. We quantified the relationships of both distance and flowering phenology to the probability of mating between individual plants. In an experimental plot, we followed daily flowering phenology in Echinacea angustifolia, a self-incompatible perennial pollinated by solitary bees. We assigned paternity to 832 of 927 seedlings from 37 maternal plants using 11 microsatellite loci. Potential pollen donors included the experiment plot's 202 flowering plants and a nearby plot's 19 flowering plants. For each maternal plant sampled, we examined the pollen pool by quantifying correlated paternity and the effective number of pollen donors. Significantly more pollinations occurred between neighboring and synchronous plants than expected under random mating, with distance being more important than flowering synchrony. The distance pollen moved varied over the course of the season, with late flowering plants mating with more distant plants compared to early or peak flowering plants. All maternal plants had a diverse set of mates (mean number of effective pollen donors = 23.7), and the composition of the pollen pools overlapped little between maternal plants. Both distance and flowering synchrony influenced pollination patterns in E. angustifolia. Our results suggest that pollen movement between incompatible mates and flowering asynchrony could be contributing to the reduced seed set observed in small E. angustifolia remnants. However, we also found that individual plants receive pollen from a diverse group of pollen donors.

Isolation and characterization of isochorismate synthase and cinnamate 4-hydroxylase during salinity stress, wounding, and salicylic acid treatment in Carthamus tinctorius

Salicylic acid (SA) is a prominent signaling molecule during biotic and abiotic stresses in plants biosynthesized via cinnamate and isochorismate pathways. Cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) and isochorismate synthase (ICS) are the main enzymes in phenylpropanoid and isochorismate pathways, respectively. To investigate the actual roles of these genes in resistance mechanism to environmental stresses, here, the coding sequences of these enzymes in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), as an oilseed industrial medicinal plant, were partially isolated and their expression profiles during salinity stress, wounding, and salicylic acid treatment were monitored. As a result, safflower ICS (CtICS) and C4H (CtC4H) were induced in early time points after wounding (3–6 h). Upon salinity stress, CtICS and CtC4H were highly expressed for the periods of 6–24 h and 3–6 h after treatment, respectively. It seems evident that ICS expression level is SA concentration dependent as if safflower treatment with 1 mM SA could induce ICS much stronger than that with 0.1 mM, while C4H is less likely to be so. Based on phylogenetic analysis, safflower ICS has maximum similarity to its ortholog in Vitis vinifera up to 69%, while C4H shows the highest similarity to its ortholog in Echinacea angustifolia up to 96%. Overall, the isolated genes of CtICS and CtC4H in safflower could be considered in plant breeding programs for salinity tolerance as well as for pathogen resistance.

Development and evaluation of microsatellite markers for a native prairie perennial, Echinacea angustifolia (Asteraceae).

• Premise of the study: Microsatellite loci for the native prairie perennial Echinacea angustifolia were developed and evaluated for future use in population structure and paternity studies.• Methods and Results: A total of 50 trinucleotide microsatellite regions were identified though an enrichment protocol that prescreens for microsatellite repeats before ligating into a vector. Of these, 11 loci were polymorphic and in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium in three populations with varying numbers of plants. The loci had between three and 14 alleles and collectively provided high paternity exclusion probabilities.• Conclusions: These sets of microsatellite primers will provide researchers and land managers with valuable information on the population genetic structure and gene flow between fragmented prairie populations.

SAMITAL ® : A New Botanical Drug for the Treatment of Mucositis Induced by Oncological Therapies

SAMITAL(®) (Indena SpA, Milan, Italy) is a new multicomponent and multiacting botanical formulation rationally designed for the relief of oral mucositis induced by chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy in oncological patients. Each of the individual botanical constituents of SAMITAL-standardized extracts of Vaccinium myrtillus, Macleaya cordata and Echinacea angustifolia have a long history of clinical use that corroborates their safety and activity in SAMITAL. A number of pilot trials in oncological patients demonstrated that SAMITAL has good clinical efficacy and tolerability as evidenced by its significant effects in terms of reduction of mucositis, pain and a general improvement in patient quality of life. Importantly, the use of this botanical formulation had the added benefit that patients were able to complete their chemotherapy/radiotherapy regimen. Phase II trials with SAMITAL as part of an overall clinical development program are currently ongoing in Italy and are planned in the USA.

Evaluation of Inflorescence Visitors as Pollinators of <I>Echinacea angustifolia</I> (Asteraceae): Comparison of Techniques

Inflorescences (heads or capitula) of the putative self-incompatible species, purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia (DC) Cronq. (Asteraceae)), were visited by insects representing the Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera, in accordance with a generalist pollination syndrome. Measurement of the effectiveness of insect species as pollinators was accomplished by permitting solitary visits to receptive, central disc florets of virgin (previously bagged) heads. Four parameters were quantified: total stigmatic pollen load and proportion of pollen grains germinated, numbers of pollen tubes at style bases, and percentages of total receptive florets that had retracted (shrivelled) styles. Quantifying total and germinated pollen grains proved ineffective, partly owing to the tendency of self-pollen to initiate pollen tubes. The most effective pollinators were Apidae, especially bumble bees (Bombus spp.) and the European honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) (mean: 39 - 61% of styles retracted). Other noteworthy pollinators were cloudless sulfur butterflies (Phoebis sennae L.--Pieridae; mean 47% of style bases with pollen tubes), golden blister beetles (Epicauta ferruginea Say--Meloidae; 44%), and grasshopper bee flies (Systoechus vulgaris Loew--Bombyliidae; 22%). Sunflower leafcutter bees (Megachile pugnata Say) were less effective (4% of styles retracted). Promisingly, analysis of the proportion of retracted styles provided similar results to the established technique of pollen-tube quantification, but had the significant advantages of being completed more rapidly, without a microscope, and in the field. The quantitative technique of retracted-style analysis appears well suited for prompt measurement of inflorescence-visiting insects as pollinators of many asteraceans.

Genomics of Compositae crops: reference transcriptome assemblies and evidence of hybridization with wild relatives

Although the Compositae harbours only two major food crops, sunflower and lettuce, many other species in this family are utilized by humans and have experienced various levels of domestication. Here, we have used next-generation sequencing technology to develop 15 reference transcriptome assemblies for Compositae crops or their wild relatives. These data allow us to gain insight into the evolutionary and genomic consequences of plant domestication. Specifically, we performed Illumina sequencing of Cichorium endivia, Cichorium intybus, Echinacea angustifolia, Iva annua, Helianthus tuberosus, Dahlia hybrida, Leontodon taraxacoides and Glebionis segetum, as well 454 sequencing of Guizotia scabra, Stevia rebaudiana, Parthenium argentatum and Smallanthus sonchifolius. Illumina reads were assembled using Trinity, and 454 reads were assembled using MIRA and CAP3. We evaluated the coverage of the transcriptomes using BLASTX analysis of a set of ultra-conserved orthologs (UCOs) and recovered most of these genes (88-98%). We found a correlation between contig length and read length for the 454 assemblies, and greater contig lengths for the 454 compared with the Illumina assemblies. This suggests that longer reads can aid in the assembly of more complete transcripts. Finally, we compared the divergence of orthologs at synonymous sites (Ks) between Compositae crops and their wild relatives and found greater divergence when the progenitors were self-incompatible. We also found greater divergence between pairs of taxa that had some evidence of postzygotic isolation. For several more distantly related congeners, such as chicory and endive, we identified a signature of introgression in the distribution of Ks values.

Anhydramnios, Intrauterine Growth Restriction and Echinacea angustifolia Intake: A Case Report

A preterm newborn developed anhydramnios and intrauterine growth restriction after maternal Echinacea angustifolia intake during pregnancy. A 34-year-old primigravida woman was admitted to the hospital for an emergency caesarean delivery at 35 weeks ’ gestation due to anhydramnios and intrauterine growth restriction. Maternal laboratory parameters were all within normal limits, while the histological examination revealed several placental infarctions. Before and during her pregnancy, she was not affected by a chronic disease and had no complication or problem requiring a drug treatment. At her booking visit at 27 week gestation, clinical examination was unremarkable. Thereafter, she suffered for a fastidious common cold that she successfully treated with a product containing Echinacea angustifolia (one tablet every day for 7 weeks). The newborn (birth weight 1,330 g) did not show serious complications. In this report the development of anhydramnios and intrauterine growth restriction in a preterm newborn after the 27th week of gestation could be well correlated with impaired maternal and foetal blood flows. On the light of a physiological pregnancy where diseases, drug treatments or other risk factors were absent, the only event that could have presumably influenced placental blood flow is a regular maternal consumption (every day for about two months) of an herbal product containing Echinacea angustifolia , given its potential effects on foetal angiogenesis. Even if it is difficult to demonstrate a clear relationship between Echinacea intake and intrauterine growth restriction observed in our preterm infant, a prolonged use of this herb during pregnancy should be avoided also on the light of the paucity of available data in this area. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4021/jmc1072w

Alkamides from Echinacea angustifolia Interact with P-Glycoprotein of Primary Brain Capillary Endothelial Cells Isolated from Porcine Brain Blood Vessels

The blood-brain barrier prevents the passage of toxic compounds from blood circulation into brain tissue. Unfortunately, drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, brain tumors, and other diseases also do not cross the blood-brain barrier. In the present investigation, we used isolated porcine brain capillary endothelial cells and a flow cytometric calcein-AM assay to analyze inhibition of P-glycoprotein, a major constituent of the blood-brain barrier. We tested 8 alkamides isolated from Echinacea angustifolia and found that four of them inhibited P-glycoprotein-mediated calcein transport in porcine brain capillary endothelial cells.

Anhydramnios, Intrauterine Growth Restriction and Echinacea angustifolia Intake: A Case Report

A preterm newborn developed anhydramnios and intrauterine growth restriction after maternal Echinacea angustifolia intake during pregnancy. A 34-year-old primigravida woman was admitted to the hospital for an emergency caesarean delivery at 35 weeks’ gestation due to anhydramnios and intrauterine growth restriction. Maternal laboratory parameters were all within normal limits, while the histological examination revealed several placental infarctions. Before and during her pregnancy, she was not affected by a chronic disease and had no complication or problem requiring a drug treatment. At her booking visit at 27 week gestation, clinical examination was unremarkable. Thereafter, she suffered for a fastidious common cold that she successfully treated with a product containing Echinacea angustifolia (one tablet every day for 7 weeks). The newborn (birth weight 1,330 g) did not show serious complications. In this report the development of anhydramnios and intrauterine growth restriction in a preterm newborn after the 27th week of gestation could be well correlated with impaired maternal and foetal blood flows. On the light of a physiological pregnancy where diseases, drug treatments or other risk factors were absent, the only event that could have presumably influenced placental blood flow is a regular maternal consumption (every day for about two months) of an herbal product containing Echinacea angustifolia , given its potential effects on foetal angiogenesis. Even if it is difficult to demonstrate a clear relationship between Echinacea intake and intrauterine growth restriction observed in our preterm infant, a prolonged use of this herb during pregnancy should be avoided also on the light of the paucity of available data in this area. J Med Cases. 2013;4(4):262-265 doi: https://doi.org/10.4021/jmc1072w

Antiproliferative effects of some medicinal plants on HeLa cells

Medicinal plants maintain the health and vitality of individuals, and also have potential curative effect on various diseases, including cancer. In this study were investigated the antiproliferative effects of water extracts of previously obtained ethanolic dry extracts of three different medicinal plants (Echinacea angustifolia, Salvia officinalis and Melissa officinalis) on cell lines derived from human cervix adenocarcinoma (HeLa cells). The best cytotoxic activity (IC50 = 43.52 ?g/ml) on HeLa cell lines was exhibited by Echinacea angustifolia. The extract of Salvia officinalis also showed a good cytotoxic activity against HeLa cell lines; the IC50 value was 70.41 ?g/ml. Melissa officinalis manifested a slightly weaker cytotoxic activity and an IC50 value of 122.22 ?g/ml.

오옥신 처리가 에키네시아의 부정근 및 생리활성물질 생산에 미치는 영향

The production of adventitious roots derived from root explant of Echinacea angustifolia and its secondary metabolite content were assessed in different types and levels of auxin. The induction of adventitious roots from root explant cultured in Murashige and Skoog solid medium supplemented with 1.0 ㎎/L indole -3-butyric acid (IBA) attained highest as 20.87 ㎎ fresh weight and 3.07 ㎎ dry weight per culture but root suspension culture at the same concentration of IBA enhanced biomass production as 3.07 g fresh weight and 0.38 g per culture after 4 weeks in culture. 3.0 ㎎/L α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) treatment had similar effect on root biomass production as 3.07 g fresh weight and 0.38 g per culture with liquid suspension culture, whereas adventitious roots exposed to over 3.0-5.0 ㎎/L IBA or 5.0 ㎎/L NAA were less responsive by reducing the number of adventitious roots and/or changing root morphology such as short and thick. The content of secondary metabolites such as phenolic, flavonoids and total caffeic acid in adventitious roots cultured on MS medium supplemented with 1.0 ㎎/L IBA were attained highest as 27.20, 9.60. 10.67 ㎎/g dry weight, respectively. Overall, the best production of root biomass and secondary metabolites were given by 1.0 ㎎/L IBA.

Management of Gastrointestinal Mucositis Due to Cancer Therapies in Pediatric Patients: Results of a Case Series with SAMITAL ®

Gastrointestinal mucositis is a common debilitating complication of chemotherapy and one for which there is currently no effective long-term treatment. To report our experience with the use of SAMITAL(®), a new oral suspension formulation based on the combination of three standardized extracts from Vaccinium myrtillus, Macleaya cordata fruits and Echinacea angustifolia roots in the prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-induced gastrointestinal mucositis in pediatric patients. 20 pediatric patients undergoing chemotherapy for a range of oncological conditions were followed. Patients initially received oral SAMITAL(®) to treat gastrointestinal mucositis and were then given SAMITAL(®) prophylactically to prevent recurrences with successive cycles of chemotherapy. SAMITAL(®) significantly decreased gastrointestinal mucositis grade after the first episode with a reduction of mean scores from 3.2 ± 0.7 at baseline to 0.4 ± 0.6 at the end of treatment (p < 0.001). SAMITAL(®) reduced pain, mucosal erosions, bleeding and dysphagia/feeding impairment. SAMITAL(®) improved patients' overall condition and quality of life after the first administration and lowered the need for parenteral nutrition. Importantly, it allowed chemotherapy cycles to be continued without complications. Results from this case series suggest that SAMITAL(®) may play an important role in the prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-induced gastrointestinal mucositis in children and adolescents and as such warrants investigation in controlled studies.

Scale-up of adventitious root cultures of Echinacea angustifolia in a pilot-scale bioreactor for the production of biomass and caffeic acid derivatives

In an attempt to scale-up of adventitious root cultures of Echinacea angustifolia for the production of biomass and caffeic acid derivatives, i.e. echinacoside, chlorogenic acid, cichoric acid, caftaric acid, and cynarin, the effects of Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium dilutions, and initial sucrose concentrations were investigated in a 5-L airlift bioreactor. In addition, the kinetics of adventitious root growth and accumulation of secondary metabolites were also studied. The greatest root dry weight (6.50 g L−l) and accumulation of total phenolics [22.06 mg g−1 DW (dry weight)], total flavonoids (5.77 mg g−1 DW) and total caffeic acid derivatives (10.63 mg g−1 DW) were obtained at quarter-strength MS medium. Of the various gradients of sucrose tested, 5 % sucrose supplementation was regarded as an optimal concentration for enhancing productivity of biomass and bioactive compounds. Neither higher salt strength (3/4–2 MS) nor sucrose concentrations (7 and 9 %) showed promotive effect on root growth and metabolite production. The kinetic studies revealed that 4 weeks of culture period is the optimal time to achieve highest productivity of metabolites. Based on these results, a large-scale (20 L) and a pilot-scale (500 L) adventitious root culture system was established. In the pilot-scale bioreactor, adventitious roots were elicitor-treated with 100 μM methyl jasmonate (MJ) on day 28. After 1 week of elicitation, 1.75 kg dry root biomass was harvested containing 60.41 mg g−1 DW of total phenolics, 16.45 mg g−1 DW of total flavonoids, and 33.44 mg g−1 DW of total caffeic acid derivatives. Among the caffeic acid derivatives, the accumulation of echinacoside (the major bioactive compound) in MJ-treated adventitious roots grown in the 500-L bioreactor was the highest (12.3 mg g−1 DW), which is approximately threefold more than the non-MJ-treated roots cultured in 5- and 20-L bioreactors.

Antioxidant addition to prevent lipid and protein oxidation in chicken meat mixed with supercritical extracts of Echinacea angustifolia

Lipid and protein oxidation is a major phenomenon reducing meat quality during cooking and storage and leading to off-flavour formation and rancidity. The use of vegetable extracts to increase shelf life is a promising new frontier in the prevention of oxidation. In this study the efficacy on lipid and protein oxidation was evaluated in chicken meat mixed with conventional methanol/water and supercritical extracts of Echinacea angustifolia after cooking and at different times of cold storage in order to propose these matrices as natural substances to increase the shelf-life of meat products. Echinacea spp. are native to North America and were traditionally used by the Indian tribes for a variety of diseases, including mouth sores, colds and snakebites. The three most commonly used Echinacea spp. are Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea pallida and Echinacea purpurea. In particular, a series of experiments have shown that E. angustifolia extracts have significant immunomodulatory activities. Total phenols and antioxidant activity of the SFE extracts were used as parameters to characterize the vegetable extracts, TBARS and MDA were considered to monitor lipid oxidation, while protein oxidation was measured as carbonyl compounds. Results show a protective action of plant antioxidants against oxidation, but also a greater selectivity and a higher efficiency of natural extracts obtained by SFE respect to conventional extract. The study of the metabolic profile was performed by tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS).

GROWING MEDICINAL PLANTS IN HYDROPONIC CULTURE

Medicinal plants are increasingly cultivated on a commercial scale to satisfy the large demand for natural remedies. These species are generally grown in open field, which results in large year-to-year variability in both biomass production and content of active principles. Hydroponic technology may be applied to produce high-standard plant material all year-round in consideration of the possibility to control growing conditions and to stimulate secondary metabolism by appropriate manipulation of mineral nutrition. A series of experiments were conducted between 2005 and 2010 at the University of Pisa to investigate the application of the floating raft growing system for the greenhouse cultivation of echinacea (Echinacea angustifolia DC) and basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), which are typically cultivated for their roots and leaves, respectively. Growth and content of distinctive caffeic acid derivatives (CADs), specifically echinacoside in echinacea and rosmarinic acid in basil, were determined. Both species grew rapidly and healthy and in two to four months they accumulated large biomass with minimal contamination. Nevertheless, in echinacea the high biomass production was not associated with high levels of CADs and the concentration of echinacoside (the marker compound used for quality standardization) never reached the minimum standard (1% on a dry weight basis) for the industrial production of dry extract. In contrast, basil accumulated an adequate content of rosmarinic acid. One additional advantage was the possibility to harvest also the root system of basil, which contained higher levels of rosmarinic acid compared to the leaves.

Administration of botanicals with the diet regulates gene expression in peripheral blood cells of Sarda sheep during ACTH challenge

The aim of the present research was to investigate the regulation of gene expression in ovine blood leukocytes during ACTH-induced cortisol release and the effect of dietary administration of botanicals to counteract the evoked response in polymorphonucleate cells (PMNCs). Thirty-six homogeneous Sarda sheep (age, 18 ± 4.1 mo; BW, 38.7 ± 1.3 kg) were allotted to six groups of six sheep each. One group was used as a negative control (Saline) and five groups were treated, every 12 h for 48 h, with 0.5 mL of ACTH agonist (250 μg/mL of tetracosactrin). Before ACTH treatment, four of the five ACTH-treated groups were separated and fed for 22 d with a basal diet supplemented with extracts from Echinacea angustifolia roots (PO + ACTH), Echinacea angustifolia flowers (EA + ACTH), Andrographis paniculata (AP + ACTH), and the bark of Larix decidua milled (LB + ACTH). Control groups (Saline and ACTH) were fed with the same basal diet without botanicals. Total RNA was extracted from blood samples collected before (T0) and after 3 h (T3) and 51 h (T51) from the first ACTH injection, and transcriptome analysis was performed using a custom oligoarray, designed from 12,194 Ovis aries UniGenes on a CombiMatrix platform. At T3, treatment with ACTH caused down-regulation of transcripts (P < 0.001) involved in “response to stress” (GADD45A, GADD45B, WRNIP1, and XRCC6) and in “innate immune response” (MAPK3 and NFkBIB). At T51, treatment with ACTH caused down-regulation (P < 0.001) of genes involved in “immune response” (IFNG and IL2) and up-regulation (P < 0.001) of NF-κB1 and TP53. Each botanical produced a different (P < 0.001) molecular signature for these genes at T3 and T51. The most active botanical in modulating transcriptome modifications in PMNCs after ACTH-induced cortisol release was Larix decidua Mill bark followed by Polinacea roots. These botanicals can be viewed as promising feed supplements in ruminants to cope with conditions associated with increased concentrations of plasma cortisol.

ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL IN LIPOPHILIC AND HYDROPHILIC EXTRACTS FROM MEDICINAL HERBS (&lt;i&gt;SALVIA OFFICINALIS&lt;/i&gt; AND &lt;i&gt;ECHINACEA ANGUSTIFOLIA&lt;/i&gt;). A COMPARISON BETWEEN ASSAYS BASED ON ELECTRON PARAMAGNETIC RESONANCE AND SPECTROPHOTOMETRY

Recently, detection of antioxidant activity of plant extracts has caught the attention of researchers. Determination of antioxidant activity is usually performed using stable free radicals. A number of assays is available for screening the antioxidant activity of food constituents, but few of these methods are applicable to lipophilic substances. EPR is the analytical technique that directly measures free radicals making possible the analysis of turbid or highly colored samples. The aim of this study was to determine how the detection technique, plant species and the different growing conditions influenced the antioxidative activity of aqueous and lipid extracts from leaves. Sage (Salvia officinalis L.) and coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia DC.) grown in hydroponics and in soil, were analyzed. Radical decay kinetics, due to plant extracts, were monitored by an EPR spectrometer, equipped with a data acquisition system and a software package designed for analysis and simulation of spectra. Parameters obtained by the fitting of the curves allowed the calculation of the antioxidant potential. The radicals Fremy’s salt (hydrophilic) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH, lipophilic) were employed. Comparisons with data obtained by a spectrophotometric detection with the radical cation ABTS+ [2,2’-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)] were also made. Fremy’s salt and DPPH gave 1st and 2nd order kinetics, respectively. EPR can give more reliable measurements of the antioxidant potential than spectrophotometric assay. The reduced sensitivity of spectrophotometric detection was showed both for sage and coneflower extracts. Antioxidant potential of sage resulted extraordinary high compared to coneflower and a different ratio of aqueous to lipid antioxidant potential in the two species could be monitored. Antioxidant potentials were also higher for coneflower grown in hydroponics than in soil. In addition to the technique adopted, the detection of antioxidant potential was influenced by the growing conditions of plants and hydroponics showed to be able to increase antioxidant potential of both coneflower lipophilic and hydrophilic extracts. By registration of EPR kinetics we can get reliable measurements of the antioxidant potential of plant extracts, avoiding the artifacts due to the appearance of other radicals resulting from oxidative processes.

The Anxiolytic Potential and Psychotropic Side Effects of an Echinacea Preparation in Laboratory Animals and Healthy Volunteers

We investigated the toxicity, psychotropic side effects and anxiolytic potential of an Echinacea angustifolia extract that produced promising effects in laboratory tests performed earlier. Rats were studied in the elevated plus-maze, conditioned fear, open-field, object recognition and conditioned place preference tests. Toxicity was studied in rats after intragastric administration. The preparation decreased anxiety in the elevated plus-maze and ameliorated contextual conditioned fear. No lethality or behavioural signs of discomfort were noticed in rats treated with 1000 and 3000 mg/kg Echinacea angustifolia. The extract was without effect in tests of locomotion (open-field), memory (object recognition) and rewarding potential (conditioned place preference) within a wide dose range. A pharmacological formulation based on the same E. angustifolia extract was tested in human subjects. One or two tablets per day were administered for 1 week to healthy volunteers scoring high on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The tablets contained 20 mg of the plant extract. Data were collected using a structured self-assessment diary technique. The high dose (2 tablets per day) decreased STAI scores within 3 days in human subjects, an effect that remained stable for the duration of the treatment (7 days) and for the 2 weeks that followed treatment. The lower dose (1 tablet per day) did not affect anxiety significantly.

Clonal propagation and production of cichoric acid in three species of Echinaceae

In vitro tissue culture protocols were tested for propagation of Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea pallida and Echinacea angustifolia in order to obtain biomass for the production of cichoric acid, which is the major active compound in the Echinacea extracts. The in vitro culture process was initiated by seed germination on half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. Multiplication was achieved on MS medium supplemented with naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), 2-iso-pentenyladenine (2iP), and N6-benzyladenine (BA) in different concentrations. Shoot explants produced the highest number of shootlets on MS medium, which was supplemented with 0.1 mg/l 2iP and 0.1 mg/l IBA. RAPD markers revealed genetic polymorphism in some instances between in vitro generated plantlets such as for E. purpurea plantlets analyzed with the OPO-8 primer. RAPD markers generated with the primer 4A-29 revealed low levels of genetic variation between in vitro plantlets for all three species of Echinacea, while remaining RAPD markers revealed no variation. Content of cichoric acid in leaves, shoots, and callus was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography/MS and was identified in all studied samples, independent of species or tissue type. Highest levels (0.39–0.73 mg/g dw) were observed in shoots and leaves.

Abstract A5: Cytotoxic Extracts of Ethnomedicinal Plants: Podophyllum peltatum (Mayapple) and Echinacea angustifolia

Abstract Phytochemical and other natural compounds are historically established as cures for many ailments in rural America and other developing countries. Our lab is testing plants that show potential for inhibiting the growth of cancer cells. The family Asteraceae and the family Berberidacae are very well known for their values as medicinal plants. More specifically, the genus species Echinacea angustifolia and genus species Podophyllum peltatum commonly known as the Mayapple, both are noted for their unique medicinal purposes. The crude methanol extracts of these plants were tested against human metastatic cell lines representing breast (MCF-7), (BT-549) and colon (SW620) tissues. Trypan blue exclusion is used to determine viable cell counts. Alamar BlueTM and florescent analysis were used to evaluate the cytoxicity of the extracts. Analysis of the crude extracts of Echinacea angustifolia has shown on MCF-7, BT-549, and SW620 that most of them exhibit anticancer activity against the cell lines at the maximum concentration of 200 μg/mL. In particular, less diluted concentrations have demonstrated exceptional inhibitory effects with IC50 values ranging between 0.10–15 μg/mL, respectively. On the other hand, analysis of the crude extracts of Podophyllum peltatum (Mayapple) has shown on MCF-7, BT-549 and SW620 some anticancer activity against cell lines at the maximum concentration of 200 μg/mL. More specifically, the more diluted concentrations have demonstrated exceptional growth inhibition with IC50 values ranging between 2–8 μg/mL Citation Format: Olena T. James, E. Lewis Myles. Cytotoxic Extracts of Ethnomedicinal Plants: Podophyllum peltatum (Mayapple) and Echinacea angustifolia [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Noncoding RNAs and Cancer; 2012 Jan 8-11; Miami Beach, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A5.