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  • The effect of Echinacea spp. on the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 and other respiratory tract infections in humans: A rapid review

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    Embargoed until: 2022-08-01
    File version
    Accepted Manuscript (AM)
    Author(s)
    Aucoin, Monique
    Cooley, Kieran
    Saunders, Paul Richard
    Carè, Jenny
    Anheyer, Dennis
    Medina, Daen N
    Cardozo, Valentina
    Remy, Daniella
    Hannan, Nicole
    Garber, Anna
    Griffith University Author(s)
    Hannan, Nicole
    Year published
    2020
    Metadata
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    Abstract
    Brief overview: Current evidence suggests that Echinacea supplementation may decrease the duration and severity of acute respiratory tract infections; however, no studies using Echinacea in the prevention or treatment of conditions similar to COVID-19 have been identified. Few adverse events were reported, suggesting that this herbal therapy is reasonably safe. Because Echinacea can increase immune function, there is a concern that it could worsen over-activation of the immune system in cytokine storm; however, clinical trials show that Echinacea decreases levels of immune molecules involved in cytokine storm. Verdict: Echinacea ...
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    Brief overview: Current evidence suggests that Echinacea supplementation may decrease the duration and severity of acute respiratory tract infections; however, no studies using Echinacea in the prevention or treatment of conditions similar to COVID-19 have been identified. Few adverse events were reported, suggesting that this herbal therapy is reasonably safe. Because Echinacea can increase immune function, there is a concern that it could worsen over-activation of the immune system in cytokine storm; however, clinical trials show that Echinacea decreases levels of immune molecules involved in cytokine storm. Verdict: Echinacea supplementation may assist with the symptoms of acute respiratory infections (ARI) and the common cold, particularly when administered at the first sign of infection; however, no studies using Echinacea in the prevention or treatment of conditions similar to COVID-19 have been identified. Previous studies have reported that Echinacea may decrease the severity and/or duration of ARI when taken at the onset of symptoms. The studies reporting benefit used E. purpurea or a combination of E. purpurea and E. angustifolia containing standardized amounts of active constituents. Few adverse events from the use of Echinacea were reported, suggesting that this herbal therapy is reasonably safe. No human trials could be located reporting evidence of cytokine storm when Echinacea was used for up to 4 months. When assessing all human trials which reported changes in cytokine levels in response to Echinacea supplementation, the results were largely consistent with a decrease in the pro-inflammatory cytokines that play a role in the progression of cytokine storm and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), factors that play a significant role in the death of COVID-19 patients. While there is currently no research on the therapeutic effects of Echinacea in the management of cytokine storm, this evidence suggests that further research is warranted.
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    Journal Title
    Advances in Integrative Medicine
    DOI
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aimed.2020.07.004
    Copyright Statement
    © 2020 The American Association of Orthodontistsr. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, providing that the work is properly cited.
    Note
    This publication has been entered in Griffith Research Online as an advanced online version.
    Subject
    Infectious diseases
    Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine
    Nutrition and dietetics
    Health services and systems
    Public health
    Publication URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10072/396535
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    • Journal articles

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