The use of RAPDs for the assessment of the identity, diversity and quality of Echinacea.

Abstract

The genus Echinacea, Asteraceae, is comprised of nine species, which are perennial herbs indigenous to North America and which have been traditionally used as medicinal plants for centuries. Three Echinacea species, E. angustifolia DC var. angustifolia, E. purpurea (L.) Moench, and E. pallida (Nutt.) Nutt., are cur-rently being traded internationally in the natural products market. Echinacea products constitute a significant portion of this growing, multi-billion dollar industry. Echinacea is considered of value as a nonspecific im-mune stimulant; the pharmacological activity of Echinacea extracts has been widely studied with over 350 published studies to date (Briskin 2000) together providing strong evidence for an immune modulating activ-ity of these extracts. The increasing popularity of Echinacea products has led to expansion in wildcrafting and commercial cultivation to meet the growing demand for plant material. Commercial supplies of E. purpurea are obtained from cultivated sources; E. angustifolia and E. pallida have until recently been supplied largely from indig-enous habitats in the United States (Foster 1993). The threat to the genetic diversity present in wild popula-tions due to indiscriminant overharvesting and the need for preservation of these genetic resources creates an incentive for the determination of the genetic variability present within these three species. The quality of botanical materials used in the manufacture of natural products has also been of concern with Echinacea prod-