Echinacea caffeic acid phenols

FIG. 2 Major caffeic acid phenols (CAP) found in Echinacea. 

AVERAGE TOTAL CAFFEIC ACID PHENOL CONTENT (mg/g DRY ROOT) OF VARIOUS ECHINACEA SPECIES AND VARIETIES GROWN UNDER CULTIVATED AND WILD ENVIRONMENTS 1... 

In this chapter, we will discuss in brief about caffeic acid and compounds derived from it. Caffeic acid is regarded as the commonest of phenolic compounds distributed in plant flora, ft is produced by hydroxylation of cinnamic acid. Caffeic acid is distributed in Coffea arabica, Echinacea purpurea and Cichorium intybus. Qunic acid is the degradation product of caffeic acid. Chlorogenic acid is a dark coloured pigment and is most abundant phenolic compound in plants next to caffeic acid. It is known to cause allergic dermatitis among humans. 

The roots of . purpurea do not contain echinacoside, but cichoric acid (2 ,3 -dicaffeoyl tartaric acid) and caftaric acid (monocaffeoyl tartaric acid) as shown in Figures 4 and 11. Cichoric acid was first found as a major constituent in the aerial parts of Echinacea species [82, 83]. Later it was found that it is abundant also in Echinacea purpurea roots and the content has been determined by HPLC to be 0.6-2.1% [84]. Schenk and Franke recently found 0.9% in cultivated material [15]. Cichoric acid undergoes rapid enzymatic degradation (see Echinacea purpurea aerial parts, section on caffeic acid derivatives and phenolic acids) [84]. Therefore, the quality of phytopreparations needs to be thoroughly checked. For analytical methods, see also Echinacea purpurea aerial parts. 

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