Echinacea biotechnology: advances, commercialization and future considerations

Abstract

Context: Plants of the genus Echinacea (Asteraceae) are among the most popular herbal supplements on the market today. Recent studies indicate there are potential new applications and emerging markets for this natural health product (NHP).Objective: This review aims to synthesize recent developments in Echinacea biotechnology and to identify promising applications for these advances in the industry.Methods: A comprehensive survey of peer-reviewed publications was carried out, focusing on Echinacea biotechnology and impacts on phytochemistry. This article primarily covers research findings since 2007 and builds on earlier reviews on the biotechnology of Echinacea.Results: Bioreactors, genetic engineering and controlled biotic or abiotic elicitation have the potential to significantly improve the yield, consistency and overall quality of Echinacea products. Using these technologies, a variety of new applications for Echinacea can be realized, such as the use of seed oil and antimicrobial and immune boosting feed additives for livestock.Conclusions: New applications can take advantage of the well-established popularity of Echinacea as a NHP. Echinacea presents a myriad of potential health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic and antibiotic activities that have yet to be fully translated into new applications. The distinct chemistry and bioactivity of different Echinacea species and organs, moreover, can lead to interesting and diverse commercial opportunities.

HPLC-UV, Metabarcoding and Genome Skims of Botanical Dietary Supplements: A Case Study in Echinacea

“…E. laevigata is not a species that is typically found in dietary supplements. In this study, a botanical standard was not analyzed by HPLC nor is it well characterized in the literature using HPLC [31]. It should be noted that the raw material used in this product could be a hybrid with E. purpurea, which is known to occur within this genus ( [30] as an example).…”

“…The use of DNA data for species identification is not a new concept, yet its adoption in the supplement industry remains far less widespread than methods that rely upon chemistry, such as HPLC and TLC [31]. These chemical methods are important since they often measure putative active ingredients by reflecting the biological properties of a product as they measure the supposed bioactive compounds.…”

Can Echinacea be a potential candidate to target immunity, inflammation, and infection - The trinity of coronavirus disease 2019

“…Among them, after E. angustifolia (black sampson) and E. pallida (pale purple coneflower), E. purpurea , commonly referred to as purple coneflower, is the most abundant, extensively studied, and popularly used for therapeutic benefits [ 47 ]. Echinacea preparations containing either one from different species or a mix of E. angustifolia and E. purpurea are among the top-selling herbal medicines worldwide, including in North America and Europe [ 48 ]. Because of their potent antiviral and immunomodulatory properties, they are extensively studied in experimental and clinical studies and reviewed, including in metanalyses that have reported the efficacy and safety of Echinacea preparations in cough, cold, seasonal flu, and upper respiratory infections [ 46 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 ].…”

Food ingredients and food made with plant cell and tissue cultures: State‐of‐the art and future trends

“…Another remarkable example of a PCTC‐based process is the scale‐up of echinacoside manufacturing to a production bioreactor size of 75 m 3 , which was achieved by the Diversa Gesellschaft für Bio‐ und Verfahrenstechnik in Germany in the 1990s [15]. This company, which came to be known as Phyton Biotech, ceased the production of echinacoside in favor of paclitaxel and has been successfully manufacturing this product in bioreactors for more than 20 years [16, 17].…”