Combined extracts of Echinacea angustifolia DC. and Zingiber officinale Roscoe in softgel capsules: Pharmacokinetics and immunomodulatory effects assessed by gene expression profiling

Echinacea angustifolia DC. and Zingiber officinale Roscoe are two natural products with documented immunomodulatory activity, both able to modulate the expression of important immune-related genes. Thus, their use in combination seems to be particularly promising. In this context, we have considered the oral supplementation of a highly standardized lipophilic extract combining both above-mentioned phytocomplexes, formulated in attractive softgel capsules, with two objectives: on the one hand to study oral pharmacokinetic of main active extracts' components and on the other hand to examine the immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory properties by gene expression profiling.