How can Echinacea purpurea help against COVID-19?

What can we do to boost our immune system and why can be Echinacea purpurea helpful? The article is based on in-vitro research.

Image by author

We are currently living in a difficult time when we only wish it would be just a strange dream from which we could wake up in the next moment and live a “normal life” again. We are overwhelmed by a feeling of helplessness and lack of control over the situation, which is a big change and stress for the modern human.

Let’s take care of our health!

However, the truth is, and experts also point out that we have some control over our health, we just need to pay more attention to it. It is well known and yet often forgotten how important it is to avoid stress and to take care of a healthy and balanced diet, adequate vitamin intake, sufficient sleep and regular physical activity.

It is also essential to stay positive, to find the positive sides of the situation, to be in touch with loved ones, those with whom we feel good, who make us laugh and bring us positive energy. Even if these people do not live in the same household with us, technology allows us to invite them on a virtual dinner or a movie night.

All of the above factors affect our nervous, hormonal and immune systems, which are interconnected.

Medicinal herbs remedies

A few weeks ago I attended an online lecture about COVID-19 and the virus that causes this disease — the SARS-CoV-2. The guest lecturers were pharmacists, including a professor from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Ljubljana, prof. Samo Kreft, PhD, who researches medicinal plants and other medicines of natural origin. He paid special attention to one medicinal plant — Echinacea purpurea, also known as purple coneflower (for Slovenian readers available here).

Echinacea purpurea (image by author)

Echinacea strengthens the immune system and is most often used to treat common colds and flu, so it is no wonder that its preparations are among the best-selling medicinal plants. In our lecture, prof. Kreft also presented a study that investigates its effectiveness as a support in the treatment of COVID-19 disease.

Effectiveness of Echinacea against common cold viruses and SARS-CoV-2

Signer et al. (2020) demonstrated the effects of Echinaforce®, a herbal preparation made from purple Echinacea. The home version of this medicine would be an Echinacea tincture (tinctures are alcoholic extracts of medicinal herbs). However, the content of active ingredients in the home preparation varies, unlike the purchased product.

An in-vitro study was performed to evaluate the effect of Echinaforce® on antiviral activity. They reconstructed the three-dimensional respiratory epithelium — a cell culture where the upper side is exposed to air, reminiscent of the human airways. The reconstituted epithelium is functional as it produces mucus and has an active ciliary pulse as is typical for a living organism. They treated the respiratory epithelium with an Echinacea preparation (they mimicked the regular use of the preparation). Virus suspension was then applied dropwise to the epithelial surface (the article describes the procedure for HCoV-229E, but the same procedure was performed with other human coronaviruses, including the currently most known SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID- 19), thus simulating the natural transmission of infection.

To simulate natural infection, the researchers infected the upper side of the respiratory epithelial culture with droplets of virus suspension. The figure shows the application of a suspension of HCoV-229E virus (Image source: Signer et al., 2020).

The results were viewed immediately after the application/infection, and 48 and 72 hours after infection. At 50 µg/ml Echinaforce®, complete inhibition of viral replication occurred (HCoV-229E virus was no longer detected) in 5 of 8 cultures after 72 hours of infection, whereas at 10 µg/ml the efficacy was lower (complete inhibition occurred only in one of eight cultures), but it resulted in slower virus growth compared to control (epithelium was not treated with Echinacea).

The results are consistent with observations from clinical studies examining the effect of Echinaforce® on respiratory infections (the number of common cold episodes was significantly lower in volunteers receiving Echinaforce®). Clinical studies, therefore, indicate significant protection against coronaviruses with Echinaforce® at acceptable and safe doses.

In enveloped RNA viruses, inactivation — the destruction of viral activity, occurs with direct treatment with Echinaforce®. In the first top four graphs, complete inactivation occurs at 50 μg/ml Echinaforcea® — at this drug value, the virus is no longer detected (x-axis at 50 indicates nd — not detected) (Image source: Signer et al., 2020).

Take home message

The mechanism of action of the various extracts of Echinacea is currently unclear, but it seems that Echinaforce® works by direct contact with viruses, leading to permanent inactivation of the virus — destruction of its activity.

The described study shows that Echinaforce® inactivate four human coronaviruses in an in-vitro environment. It inactivated the following viruses: HCoV-229E, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-1, and SARS-CoV-2. This knowledge further enhances its use as a preventive treatment against a wide range of viruses that cause both common colds and more serious lung diseases. Professor Kreft concluded that, although there are no clinical studies with the effects of Echinacea on SARS-CoV-2 yet, based on pre-existing clinical studies dealing with related viruses and on in-vitro studies including SARS-CoV-2, Echinacea could be effective as a support in the treatment of COVID-19. It can be effective for the treatment of a milder form of COVID-19 disease, which is also the most common.

It is advised to use Encinacea tincture or other kinds of Encinacea herbal medicine as a dietary supplement for boosting the immune system when we are already healthy. This way, our body is much more likely to be more resilient and ready to fight the multiple types of viruses we will face in the coming season. Also, the symptoms of the disease are supposed to be milder if we get sick eventually. If you have an access to Echinacea plant, you can also make your own tincture.

There are some ways to take care of ourselves in these days, for both mental and physical health, and start changing the world to better where we are capable of — with ourselves. Stay healthy.

Warnings

• The article is not a promotion of Echinaforce®, as it merely describes a study examining the effect of this medicine on common cold viruses and on the highly pathogenic SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 disease.
• When using products from the Echinacea, it is necessary to adhere to the recommended doses, which are written in the instructions.
• We do not equate SARS-Cov-2 virus, which belongs to the group of coronaviruses, with the common cold virus. In this study, researchers investigated several human coronaviruses, including HCoV-229E, which is a common cold virus, while SARS-Cov-1, SARS-Cov-2, and MERS-CoV are highly pathogenic.
• In the case of treatment and prevention, Echinacea herbal tea is a less effective alternative. We get some active ingredients by drinking tea, but an Echinacea tincture (an alcoholic extract) is much more suitable as a support in treatment.
• It is not recommended to take Echinacea tincture continuously. It is advised to take breaks every ten days and necessary not taking it for more than eight weeks continuously.
• Echinacea is not recommended for people who take drugs for diseases such as heart disease, bleeding and autoimmune diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis). There is no clinical evidence for this finding, but as a precaution, use is not recommended. There is also insufficient evidence of the safeties of Echinacea for pregnant and lactating women, which is why it is advised not to use the drug during these periods.

This article is also available in Slovenian language.

Literature

1. Echinaforce® Echinacea Drops helps fight symptoms of colds & flu by supporting your immune system. (2020). Retrieved from: https://www.avogel.co.uk/herbal-remedies/echinacea-echinaforce/
2. Doljak, E.(2020). Kaj lahko ta trenutek naredite sami, da ostanete zdravi? Retrieved from: https://siol.net/trendi/zdravo-zivljenje/kaj-lahko-ta-trenutek-naredite-sami-da-ostanete-zdravi-537220
3. Jawad, M., Schoop, R., Suter, A., Klein, P., Eccles, R.(2012). Safety and Efficacy Profile of Echinacea purpurea to Prevent Common Cold Episodes: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2012(1), 1–7
4. Kreft, S.(2020). Echinacea purpurea in the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. Farmacevtski vestnik, 71(1), 148–151
5. Signer, J., Jonsdottir, H.R., Albrich, W.C. in sod. (2020). In vitro virucidal activity of Echinaforce®, an Echinacea purpurea preparation, against coronaviruses, including common cold coronavirus 229E and SARS-CoV-2. Virology Journal, 17(1), 1–11
6. Wikipedia: in-vitro, in-vivo
7. Naberi si čaj: Echinacea purpurea, Tinkutre, Instructions, Tea, Flue, Immune system, pneumonia