The medicinal species of Echinacea (Asteraceae) - E. angustifolia DC., E. pallida Nutt. and E. purpurea Moench. are very important natural sources of drugs with a stimulatory effect on immunity, and having an anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial activity. In Romania, the species E. pallida and E. purpurea were cultivated on an experimental basis for the first time in 1982 at the University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca.

Phytochemical research at the Faculty of Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca had in view the quantitative and qualitative analysis of some chemical constituents of the cultivated species: polysaccarides (2.60% in E. pallida roots), essential oil from roots (1.33% in E. pallida); inflorescence and fruits with a complex chemical composition, depending on the organ it was produced from; triterpenic saponins (3.20% in E. pallida and 1.10% in E. purpurea), gypsogenin derivatives, tanins (0.88% in E. pallida and 1.69% in E. purpurea), caffeic acid derivatives (0.63% in E. pallida and 1.12% in E. purpurea) - as chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acids, echinacoside, verbascoside, flavonoids, a higher quantity was detected especially in leaves (0.18% in E. pallida and 0.26% in E. purpurea) such as rutoside and others: derivatives of kaempherol, quercetol, luteolin and apigenin.

The methods used for analysis were: TLC, gas-chromatography, mass spectrophotometry, HPLC, UV ad IR spectra.

Phytochemical and pharmacological research led to the creation of the Romanian drug called "NOVASTIM" - tincture, ointment and tablets - indicated in the treatment of herpes virus and for stimulating the immunity.