Echinacea purpurea Root Extract Increases Tumor Necrosis Factor Production by Concanavalin A-Activated Murine Splenocytes

Echinacea purpurea is a common herbal remedy used to treat a variety of illnesses, though its health benefits and effects on the immune system have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated the effect of E. purpurea root extract on the survival of concanavalin A (ConA)-activated murine splenocytes and the production of the cytokines interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) by these cells. We found that E. purpurea root extract did not affect splenocyte survival or IL-2 production and increased IFN-γ cytokine levels only modestly. However, TNF cytokine production by ConA-activated splenocytes increased in response to E. purpurea root extract treatment in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting that E. purpurea root extract does have immunomodulatory effects.