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Echinacea-Induced Cytosolic Ca2+ Elevation In Hek293, Lankun Wu, Eric W. Rowe, Ksenija Jeftinija, Srdija Jeftinija, Ludmila Rizhsky, Basil Nikolau, Jodi Mckay, Marian L. Kohut, Eve Wurtele

Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology Publications

Background: With a traditional medical use for treatment of various ailments, herbal preparations of Echinacea are now popularly used to improve immune responses. One likely mode of action is that alkamides from Echinacea bind to cannabinoid type 2 (CB2) receptors and induce a transient increase in intracellular Ca2+. Here, we show that unidentified compounds from Echinacea purpurea induce cytosolic Ca2+ elevation in non-immune-related cells, which lack CB2 receptors and that the Ca2+ elevation is not influenced by alkamides. Methods: A non-immune human cell line, HEK293, was chosen to evaluate E. purpurea root extracts and constituents as potential regulators of intracellular ...