Echinacea purpurea for prevention of experimental rhinovirus colds

Abstract

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the ability of Echinacea purpurea to prevent infection with rhinovirus type 39 (RV-39). Forty-eight previously healthy adults received echinacea or placebo, 2.5 mL 3 times per day, for 7 days before and 7 days after intranasal inoculation with RV-39. Symptoms were assessed to evaluate clinical illness. Viral culture and serologic studies were performed to evaluate the presence of rhinovirus infection. A total of 92% of echinacea recipients and 95% of placebo recipients were infected. Colds developed in 58% of echinacea recipients and 82% of placebo recipients (P=.114, by Fisher's exact test). Administration of echinacea before and after exposure to rhinovirus did not decrease the rate of infection; however, because of the small sample size, statistical hypothesis testing had relatively poor power to detect statistically significant differences in the frequency and severity of illness.

Figure 1

Mean total symptom score (+SD) by day after inoculation with rhinovirus type 39 (RV-39) in volunteers treated with either echinacea (black) or placebo (cross-hatched).

Table 1

Seven-day individual and total symptom scores after challenge with rhinovirus type 39 in volunteers who received either echinacea or placebo.