Stimulant feverfew

The purple coneflower Echinacea purpura, and its close relatives, E. angustifolia and E. pallida, are the source of the herb Echinacea, which is widely popular as a nonspecific immune stimulant. These perennials are native to the prairies of North America and are now widely grown garden ornamentals. The root and aerial parts of the plant are the portions used, and the preparation s potency can be verified by the transient tingling sensation produced when it is tasted. Echinacea contains alkamides, caffeic acid esters (echinacoside, cichoric acid, caftaric acid), polysaccharides (heteroxylan), and an essential oil. Some echinacea products are standardized for their echinacoside content. In the past, adulteration with American feverfew (Parthenium integri-folium) was common. Echinacea is now sold either by itself or in combination with golden seal or zinc for the treatment of colds and influenza. 

Camphor is derived from the heartwood of the camphor laurel, Cinnamomum camphor a (Lauraceae), in the (+) isomeric form. The (-) form occurs in feverfew, Tanacetum parthenium (Asteraceae), and in some lavender varieties. It is regarded as an undesirable constituent in lavender oil. Much of the camphor used in commerce is prepared synthetically from other monoterpenes. Camphor is a CNS stimulant, primarily used as a topical agent for its antipruritic, rubifacient and mucolytic properties. It is toxic in high doses. 

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