Lemon verbena

Lemon verbena, scientifically named Aloysia citrodora Paláu, is a perennial shrub that belongs to the Verbenaceae family.

Indigenous to South America, this herb grows naturally in the untamed regions of Peru and Chile and thrives in warm climates with ample sunlight. It can achieve a height of up to 9 feet and produces beautiful white flowers.

Lemon verbena is a widely distributed species of medicinal plants and finds common usage in traditional medicine across different countries, including traditional Chinese medicine. The European Pharmacopoeia has included detailed accounts of "Verbenae herba" since 2008, and it has been part of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia since 1995.

With its broad spectrum of applications, lemon verbena is highly prized for its medicinal, cosmetic, aromatic, and culinary properties. Lemon verbena extracts and preparations are particularly esteemed for their beneficial antioxidant and antimicrobial characteristics.

Held in high regard within the fragrance and tea industries, the invigorating and refreshing citrus-herbal fragrance associated with lemon verbena emanates from its fragrant shrub, rather than a citrus fruit.

Lemon verbena is an adaptable herb that complements both sweet and savory dishes. It can be utilized as a lemon flavoring or added as a delightful component to salads.

The young and tender leaves can be finely sliced and consumed raw in pestos, salsas, vinaigrettes, and marinades for meats. They can also be incorporated into salads, stirred into soups, or infused to enhance the flavor of ceviche.

Furthermore, the leaves can be infused into oils, syrups, and sugar to impart a zestful essence to jellies, jams, and fruit glazes. They lend themselves exceptionally well to desserts such as crème brulee, ice cream, tarts, panna cotta, pudding, and sorbet when utilized as a flavorful infusion.
Lemon verbena

Peppermint and health benefits

Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.), is a medicinal plant that has received more attention from both food and pharmaceutical industries because of its health benefits for human society.

Peppermint is a sterile hybrid of spearmint (Mentha spicata) and water mint (Mentha aquatica), which was first recorded as budding in a field of spearmint growing in England in 1696. Since then, it has been intensively extended for its fragrant oil. It is also used to treat gastric and digestive disorders, as well as tension and insomnia.

Herbalists consider peppermint an astringent, antiseptic, antipruritic, antispasmodic, antiemetic, carminative, diaphoretic, mild bitter, analgesic, anticatarrhal, antimicrobial, rubefacient, stimulant, and emmenagogue.

This plant is widely used in folk remedies and traditional medicine for treatment of digestive disorders and nervous system actions because of its antitumor and antimicrobial properties, chemopreventive potential, its renal actions, antiallergenic effects, and also for lessening cramping, digestive complaints, anorexia, nausea and diarrhea.

Peppermint commonly used as medicinal herb because was benefit in building the immune system and fighting secondary infections. Peppermint essential oil has antibacterial activities because it was contained menthol.

Mint oil and its constituents and derivatives are used in food, pharmaceutical and perfumery and flavoring industry. Its main constituent, menthol, is used in the manufacture of lozenges, toothpastes, pain balms, and cold balms.
Peppermint and health benefits

 

Instance use of herbs

The use of herbal medicines for health prevention and ailments is an increasing trend worldwide. A recent report on international herbal sales suggests that by 2015sales are expected to reach $93 billion dollars, up from$33 billion in 2010 [Dennis J. 2012 international herb & botanical trends. Nutraceutical World.2012].

By definition, ‘traditional’ use of herbal medicines implies substantial historical use, and this is certainly true for many products that are available as ‘traditional herbal medicines’. In many developing countries, a large proportion of the population relies on traditional practitioners and their armamentarium of medicinal plants in order to meet healthcare needs.

The use of herbal remedies has also been widely embraced in many developed countries with complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) now becoming mainstream in the UK and the rest of Europe, as well as in North America and Australia.

Example of plants for herbal medicine:
Valeriana officinalis 
Traditionally used to reduce nervousness in adults and children, notably in case of sleeping disorders

Matricaria chamomilla 
Traditionally used topically as a soothing application and to calm the itching of skin ailments and in cases of cracks, grazes, chapped skin and insect bites

Teucrium polium
Constipation, kidney stones, diabetes, abdominal pain, urinary tract inflammations, flatulence, indigestion, hypertension, obesity

Pimpinella anisum 
Constipation, arthritis, male hypersexuality, common cold, abdominal pain, indigestion, nervosity, hyperactivity, flatulence, urinary tract infections, general weakness
Instance use of herbs

Citrus aurantium in herbal medicine

Citrus aurantium has enjoyed a rich history of uses in food, cosmetic and medicine. Citrus aurantium is a form a fruit commonly known as “bitter orange” and is often use as an Asian herbal medicine to treat digestive problem.

It is also a mild stimulant and is thought to contribute to appetite suppression and increase metabolic rate and lipolysis.

Volatile plant oils or essential oil are used in aromatherapy and are usually applied by gentle massage.

The oil of Citrus aurantium is an effective topical treatment in treatment-resistant, superficial dermatophyte infection. Citrus aurantium contains synephrine, which has ephedrine-like effects on the cardiovascular system.
Citrus aurantium in herbal medicine