Directions

Search the Maryville Online Library (hps://www.maryville.edu/library/) for a scholarly arcle about
an herbal supplement.
a. Your search should contain herbal supplements and should not include other types of
supplements.

The article must have been wrien within the past ve years.

Write a summary in MicrosoWord of the pharmacodynamics of the herbal supplement.

Idenfy a drug-herb interacon with the supplement (e.g., garlic with clopidogrel increases blood
clong me) and include this informaon in your summary. Include the implicaons of the drugherb interacon.

Use current APA professional paper formang
(hps://lmscontent.embanet.com/MVU/Syllabus/APA_Style.html) this document.
What to Submit
Submit your MicrosoWord document.
Submit a PDF of the arcle to this assignment. This is required for possible full credit.
If you copy and paste references from the course into your assignment, be sure to conrm current APA
professional paper formang (hps://lmscontent.embanet.com/MVU/Syllabus/APA_Style.html) before
subming.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Pharmacodynamics of Echinacea

The selected herbal supplement discussed in this assignment is Echinacea purpurea. Echinacea purpurea, also known as purple coneflower is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant that originated from North America, in the US (Burlou-Nagy et al., 2022). The plant has nine different species, but only three are used for therapeutic purposes. The species include Echinacea pallida (Nutt.), Echinacea purpurea (L.), and Echinacea angustifolia. The flowers, roots, and leaves of the plant can be used as herbal supplements (Burlou-Nagy et al., 2022).

The pharmacodynamics of the supplement involves its impacts on the body at a molecular and cellular level. One of the effects is immunomodulation. According to Burlou-Nagy et al. (2022), Echinacea is believed to stimulate certain immune cells, such as T-cells, natural killer cells, and macrophages, known for playing a significant role in defending the body against infections. The second effect is anti-inflammatory effects. The supplement has various bioactive compounds including caffeic acid derivatives, alkamides, and polysaccharides, which Burlou-Nagy et al. (2022) noted have anti-inflammatory effects. The compounds in the supplement can be used to manage inflammation of the body by preventing certain enzymes and pathways involved in inflammation response. In other words, the supplement is effective in reducing inflammation. Another pharmacodynamics of the supplement is antiviral activity. Burlou-Nagy et al. (2022) noted that Echinacea might be effective in reducing the impacts of viral diseases such as the common cold virus. The supplement is thought to inhibit the replication of the virus in the body and its attachment to host cells.

The supplement also has antioxidant effects. It has antioxidant compounds such as phenolic compounds and flavonoids, which can be beneficial in inhibiting harmful free radicals in the body. Burlou-Nagy et al. (2022) noted that the immune system of the body can be improved by the antioxidant properties of the supplement. The supplement can also improve the immune system of the body by enhancing phagocytosis, where immune cells destroy pathogens by engulfing themselves, thus helping the body clear infections (Burlou-Nagy et al., 2022). The supplement also has histamine inhibition properties. Histamine is involved in allergic reactions. The supplement can be used to treat allergic reactions by inhibiting the release of histamine.

There are no reports of herb-drug interaction between Echinacea with other drugs. However, Burlou-Nagy et al. (2022) noted that they can mildly inhibit the functions of the cytochrome P450 3A4 enzyme, and as a result can increase the level of medications metabolized by this enzyme in the blood. Some of the drugs metabolized by the enzyme include fexofenadine (Allegra), itraconazole (Sporanox), and lovastatin (Meva-cor). Due to the interactions, it is always advised to use the supplement with caution when taking it with medications. The supplement also interacts with immunosuppressants such as tacrolimus and cyclosporine by interfering with (Burlou-Nagy et al., 2022). It also interacts with medications metabolized by the liver. It can negatively impact the activity of liver enzymes involved in drug metabolism. Also, using medications such as corticosteroids together with the supplement could alter the effect of the drugs or lead to immune system overstimulation (Burlou-Nagy et al., 2022). It also interacts with antifungal medications, thereby reducing the effectiveness and absorption of the drugs in the body.

Reference

Burlou-Nagy, C., Bănică, F., Jurca, T., Vicaș, L. G., Marian, E., Muresan, M. E., & Pallag, A. (2022). Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench: Biological and pharmacological properties. A review. Plants, 11(9), 1244. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11091244