Plants have played a major role as human sources of medicine since ancient times, and carrying over of the knowledge of the plants among various generations has led to the discovery of a wide range of herbal Medicines.
Lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla) is a Verbenaceae herb that grows spontaneously in South America and that is cultivated in the Mediterranean area.
It has been used in traditional medicine as an antispasmolytic, febrifuge, sedative, stomachic, and diuretic agent and in preventive treatment of arteriosclerosis.
The leaves and flowers are used for culinary purposes (fruit salads and jams, teas, desserts), cosmetics, for potpourris and as herbal medicines (colds, fevers, dyspepsia and diarrhea). In addition, the essential oil of lemon verbena has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, while the essential oils, tea and tinctures proved an antibacterial and antioxidant activity.
Lemon verbena oil and its major constituent citral, induced apoptosis in leukemic cells in blood taken from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Anticarcinogenic activity has been reported for citral, (+)-limonene and β-caryophyllene.
Traditionally, lemon verbena is used as folk remedy in treatments of spasms, cold and fever. The essential oil is used in aromatherapy, extensively used in perfumery, especially in making eau de toilette and eau de cologne.
Lemon verbena in herbal medicine
