Utilizing low-cost purple coneflower (Echniacea purpurea) marc for competitive sorption of 152+154Eu(III), 60Co(II) and 134Cs(I) radionuclides

Echinacea purpurea marc (EPM), a residual of echinacea herb after the extraction process, was used as a natural low-cost sorbent for competitive sorption of 152+154Eu(III), 60Co(II) and 134Cs(I) radionuclides. The EPM was ground to prepare it for use in the sorption process. The variables influencing the sorption process were assessed, including pH, contact time, concentrations of metal ions, and temperature. EPM was characterized by different analytical instruments such as FTIR, SEM, XRD, and DTA/TGA. pH 4.0 was selected as the ideal pH value for competitive sorption of the studied ions. Adsorption kinetics data found that the sorption followed a pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption isotherm data was significantly better suited by the Langmuir isotherms in the case of Eu(III) ions while following Freundlich in the case of Co(II) and Cs(I) ions. Positive ΔHo values confirm the endothermic character of metal ion sorption onto EPM. The loading efficiencies of Eu(III), Co(II), and Cs(I) ions in the EPM column were 66.67%, 9.59%, and 4.81%, respectively. The EPM is a cost-effective and efficient separation of Eu(III) ions more than Cs(I) and Co(II) ions. Therefore, in the future, it will be a starting point for the separation of trivalent elements of lanthanide ions.

Echinacea in hepatopathy: A review of its phytochemistry, pharmacology, and safety

BACKGROUND

Echinacea, one of the most popular herbs with double function of immunity and anti-inflammatory activity, has now attracted much interest for a possible alternative for the treatment of hepatopathy. This review is aimed at providing a comprehensive overview of Echinacea regarding its chemical composition, pharmacological action against various hepatopathy, and safety.

METHODS

A comprehensive search of published articles was conducted to focus on original publications related to Echinacea and hepatopathy till the end of 2020 using various literature databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure, PubMed, and Web of Science database.

RESULTS

Echinacea exhibited excellent activities in resisting a variety of hepatopathy induced by different causes in preclinical experiments and clinical trials by regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis, antioxidant defense mechanism, voltage-gated sodium channels, lipid metabolism, circadian rhythm, p38 MAPK signaling pathway, JNK signaling pathway, Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, and Akt/GSK3 beta signaling pathways. The high efficacy of Echinacea is related to its immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activities. The main ingredients of Echinacea include caffeic acid derivatives, alkylamides, and polysaccharides, which have been well established in preclinical studies of liver diseases. Studies on acute and subacute toxicity show that Echinacea preparations are well-tolerated herbal medicines.

CONCLUSION

Echinacea may offer a novel potential strategy for clinical prevention and treatment of liver diseases and related diseases. Extensive studies are necessary to identify the underlying mechanisms and establish future therapeutic potentials of this herb. Well-designed clinical trials are still warranted to confirm the safety and effectiveness of Echinacea for hepatopathy.