Aqueous and hydro-alcoholic extracts of Echinacea purpurea (L) Moench as traditional herbal remedies with immunotropic activity

Correspondence: Ewa Skopinska-Ro?ewska, Department of Pathology, Biostructure Center, Medical University of Warsaw, Cha3ubinskiego 5, 02-004 Warsaw, Poland. Phone number: +48 600 47 94 95, Email: ewaskop@hotmail.com Echinacea purpurea preparations are derived from the aerial parts of purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea (L) Moench Asteraceae=Compositae, which grows throughout North America and Europe. Information about use of Echinacea first came from American Indians. They used leaves and roots/rhizomes of Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia DC and Echinacea pallida Nutt, internally and externally, as remedies for many ailments. Plants were used fresh or, most often, dried, as infusion, succus or decoction [1-6]. The most ancient form of medical herbs use , aside from consuming the fresh or dried plant, is aqueous extract which may be dried to form powder. According to Materia Medica [7] contemporary “Echinacea purpurea preparations include liquid(aqueous or hydro-alcoholic)extracts of fresh or dried whole plant or aerial parts; fresh or dried preparations of Review paper