[AF] Nuevo palo para la Equinacea

[Ramon Diaz-Alersi]

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/353/4/341:

N Engl J Med. 2005 Jul 28;353(4):341-8. An evaluation of Echinacea 
angustifolia in experimental rhinovirus infections. Turner RB, Bauer R, 
Woelkart K, Hulsey TC, Gangemi JD. University of Virginia School of 
Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA. rbt2n en virginia.edu

BACKGROUND: Echinacea has been widely used as an herbal remedy for the 
common cold, but efficacy studies have produced conflicting results, and 
there are a variety of echinacea products on the market with different 
phytochemical compositions. We evaluated the effect of chemically 
defined extracts from Echinacea angustifolia roots on rhinovirus 
infection. METHODS: Three preparations of echinacea, with distinct 
phytochemical profiles, were produced by extraction from E. angustifolia 
roots with supercritical carbon dioxide, 60 percent ethanol, or 20 
percent ethanol. A total of 437 volunteers were randomly assigned to 
receive either prophylaxis (beginning seven days before the virus 
challenge) or treatment (beginning at the time of the challenge) either 
with one of these preparations or with placebo. The results for 399 
volunteers who were challenged with rhinovirus type 39 and observed in a 
sequestered setting for five days were included in the data analysis. 
RESULTS: There were no statistically significant effects of the three 
echinacea extracts on rates of infection or severity of symptoms. 
Similarly, there were no significant effects of treatment on the volume 
of nasal secretions, on polymorphonuclear leukocyte or interleukin-8 
concentrations in nasal-lavage specimens, or on quantitative-virus 
titer. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that extracts of 
E. angustifolia root, either alone or in combination, do not have 
clinically significant effects on infection with a rhinovirus or on the 
clinical illness that results from it. Copyright 2005 Massachusetts 
Medical Society.

Felices vacaciones para los que las empiecen y paciencia a los demás...
-- 
Ramón Díaz-Alersi
------------ próxima parte ------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: rda.vcf
Type: text/x-vcard
Size: 244 bytes
Desc: no disponible
URL: <http://listas.uninet.edu/pipermail/af/attachments/20050729/4394bfac/attachment.vcf>