Ethnopharmacology of Lippia alba

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 116; no. 2; pp. 211 - 222
• Main Authors: Hennebelle, Thierry, Sahpaz, Sevser, Joseph, Henry, Bailleul, François
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 05-03-2008; Amsterdam; New York: Elsevier; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-infectious; Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacology; anxiety; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular Agents - pharmacology; chemical constituents of plants; chemotypes; Digestive; essential oils; ethnobotany; flavones; flavonoids; General pharmacology; glycosides; Humans; Hypertension; iridoids; Lippia - chemistry; Lippia alba; literature reviews; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; medicinal properties; Nervous System - drug effects; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; phenylethanoids; Plant Extracts - adverse effects; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Respiratory; Sedative; sedatives; specialty crops; traditional medicine; Verbenaceae; Hypertension; IC 50; DPPH; PMA; MIC; Lippia alba; HSV; Respiratory; MTT; LD 50; Anti-infectious; LSU; HIV; TEAC; TRAMIL; NCI; Verbenaceae; VSV; BVDV; EC50; BHA; Digestive; Sedative; AFSSaPS; Digestive system; Pharmacognosy; Cardiovascular disease; Medicinal plant; Ethnopharmacology; Folk medicine; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Plant origin; Spermatophyta
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2007.11.044

Chemical, ethnopharmacological and pharmacological research on
Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E. Brown and the evidence that exists for its various usages have been looked for, focusing on high quality studies.
The species is mainly used against digestive and respiratory ailments, and as a sedative and antihypertensive remedy.
Seven chemotypes exist for the essential oil, the non-volatile compounds are iridioids, phenylethanoids, flavone glycosides and biflavonoids.
Some positive, although partial, results have been obtained on sedative and anxiolytic activities. Real effects in other traditional uses can mainly be explained by anti-infectious and analgesic properties, at the moment.
Well conducted biological studies are still needed for several indications of this species. Its use as a sedative deserves a clinical investigation. The chemical variability of the species seems important both in the essential oil and in non-volatile compounds, so future research on the pharmacological properties of these extracts should provide more chemical data which will increase their validity.