[Research progress on pharmacological activities of echinacoside]

The paper reviews the recent developments in pharmacological activities of echinacoside (ECH). ECH is a phenylethanoid glycoside isolated and purified from the stems of Cistanche salsa, a parasitic plant native to northwest China, which is used as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. During past years, ECH had been shown to possess powerful ability of anti-oxidant and free radical scavenging properties. It has been evident that ECH had neuroprotective effects and prevent liver injuries. Besides, ECH has affect in anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antiaging, immunoregulation, improving learning memory and so on. Therefore, ECH should be considered for further study and develop as a novel drug.