Common names  |  Eastern purple coneflower, Hedgehog coneflower, Purple coneflower 

Scientific name  |  Echinacea purpurea
Used part  |  Aerial part

Known active compounds  |  cichoric acid, flavonoids 

Potential benefits in cosmetics  |  anti-oxidant, anti-microbial 

Product name  |  Echinacea P-ANB

 

Plant Story

Echinacea purpurea is a native North American plant of the Asteraceae family. It is distributed in eastern, southeastern, and midwestern United States, as well as in Ontario, Canada. It produces cone-shaped flowering heads and blooms throughout spring to late summer. Although found in the wild, it is also cultivated as an ornamental plant. “Echinacea” is derived from Greek meaning “spiny one”, in reference to a spiny sea urchin, and “purpurea” means “reddish-purple”. Native Americans have used E. purpurea externally for wounds, burns, and insect bites. The roots were chewed for toothache and throat infections. E. purpurea was also used as an internal application for pain, cough, stomach cramps, and snake bites.

 

The aerial part of E. purpurea has been found to contain various compounds including alkamides, polyacetylenes, caffeic and ferulic acid derivatives, polysaccharides, and glycoproteins. Of the caffeic acid derivatives, cichoric acid was found to be the major phenolic compound in E. purpurea. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents of E. purpurea were reported and its anti-oxidant activity has been analyzed by DPPH and ABTS assays. E. purpurea extract was also reported for anti-microbial activities against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.