Difference between mother tinctures and extracts?

Hello everyone,

A question has been crossing my mind for a few weeks, I thought this was the right place to ask.

Let me take one example : Echinacea.

This plant is said to have immune boosting , antiviral, antibiotic properties...

It is sold in pills with the plant extract, in liquid form or in mother tinctures.

Do the mother tinctures and the extracts in pills have the same efficiency and do they work the same?

Would we use the two forms for the same thing or one is better for some problem and vice versa?

I'm asking this question because here in France, plants pills/extracts are not free, but mother tinctures are if prescribed by a doctor, so it would be much less costly to get mother tinctures for all the plants.

And the plants list which have benefits is endless : Boldo, Milk Thistle, Ginseng, Gingko, Echinacea etc etc. All these plants are free if prescribed in mother tinctures, but sold to crazy amounts if taken in pills/extracts/powders etc.

So if someone could explain me if the different forms are similar or not, I would be thankful.