Lemon balm

The use of natural compounds and, in general, the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), is growing steadily worldwide, both due to commercial pressure and the increasing use of self-medication and the desire to manage one's own personal health and well-being. Patients facing a cancer diagnosis are also strongly pressured to use these compounds, which are often added to standard therapeutic regimens, that should instead be based solely on diagnostic and therapeutic care pathways (DTCP) or evidence-based medicine (EBM)...

Background: Emotional distress conditions such as depression, anxiety, stress, and poor sleep are widespread health problems that have a significant impact on people's lives. Conventional drugs are commonly prescribed to treat emotional distress and poor sleep conditions; however, these medications have several limitations and have shown multiple side effects. Over recent years botanicals-based pharmacological agents have gained increasing research and clinical interest in the management of emotional distress and sleep disorder...

Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) has a long history of being used in traditional medicine for the treatment of gastrointestinal tract disorders in human thanks to its spasmolytic and stress reducing effects. These pharmacological properties have been confirmed in laboratory animals. Unfortunately, in the case of veterinary medicine, the effect of lemon balm on gut contractility has been never subjected to a detailed investigation. On the other hand, there is urgent need of new drugs that could be safely used in animals for both, causative and symptomatic treatment...

Oxidative stress is a common characteristic of psychiatric, neurological, and neurodegenerative disorders. Therefore, compounds that are neuroprotective and reduce oxidative stress may be of interest as novel therapeutics. Phenolic, flavonoid and anthocyanin content, ORAC and DPPH free radical scavenging, and Cu2+ and Fe2+ chelating capacities were examined in variations (fresh/capsule) of Queen Garnet plum (QGP, Prunus salicina ), black pepper ( Piper nigrum ) clove ( Syzygium aromaticum ), elderberry ( Sambucus nigra ), lemon balm ( Melissa officinalis ) and sage ( Salvia officinalis ), plus two blends ( Astralagus membranaceus -lemon balm-rich, WC and R8)...

This study characterises the effect of a customised starter culture (CSC) and plant extracts (lemon balm, sage, and spearmint) on Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) kinetics in goat's raw milk soft cheeses. Raw milk cheeses were produced with and without the CSC and plant extracts, and analysed for pH, SA, and LAB counts throughout ripening. The pH change over maturation was described by an empirical decay function. To assess the effect of each bio-preservative on SA, dynamic Bigelow-type models were adjusted, while their effect on LAB was evaluated by classical Huang models and dynamic Huang-Cardinal models...

Bacterial spot of stone fruits caused by Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni ( Xap ) is one of the most significant diseases of several Prunus species. Disease outbreaks can result in severe economic losses while the control options are limited. Antibacterial efficacy of essential oils (EOs) of thyme, cinnamon, clove, rosemary, tea tree, eucalyptus, lemon grass, citronella grass, and lemon balm was assessed against two Hungarian Xap isolates. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by broth microdilution assay and for the identification of active EOs' components a newly introduced high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC)- Xap (direct bioautography) method combined with solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS) was applied...

Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) and -2 (HSV-2) are large, spherically shaped, double-stranded DNA viruses that coevolved with Homo sapiens for over 300,000 years, having developed numerous immunoevasive mechanisms to survive the lifetime of their human host. Although in the continued absence of an acceptable prophylactic and therapeutic vaccine, approved pharmacologics (e.g., nucleoside analogs) hold benefit against viral outbreaks, while resistance and toxicity limit their universal application. Against these shortcomings, there is a long history of proven and unproven home remedies...

The present study aims to determine the combined effect of cropping system and irrigation regime on the chemical composition and bioactive properties of lemon balm aerial parts. For this purpose, lemon balm plants were grown under two farming systems (conventional farming vs organic farming) and two irrigation levels (full irrigation vs deficit irrigation) and harvested twice throughout the growing period. The collected aerial parts were subjected to three different methods of extractions, namely infusion, maceration and ultrasound-assisted extraction and the obtained extracts were evaluated in terms of chemical profile and bioactivities...

There is a growing demand for natural products to be used to control fleas in pets. A prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study evaluated the efficacy of the biological plant-based food supplement Bioticks® (thyme, rosemary, lemon balm, fenugreek, wormwood, and lemongrass extracts) as a flea control product in naturally flea-infested cats with an indoor-outdoor lifestyle. Ten cats were used as placebo controls (group A). Ten other cats were fed the same daily diet but supplemented with Bioticks® (group B)...

Fibromyalgia syndrome is classified as a functional somatic syndrome. There are typical but not clearly defined symptom clusters, such as chronic widespread pain, non-restorative sleep, and a tendency to physical and/or mental exhaustion. The core principle of treatment in the S3 guidelines is a multimodal treatment, especially for severe forms of the disease. Complementary, naturopathic and integrative forms of treatment have an established place in the guidelines. Strong treatment recommendations with a high consensus exist for endurance, weight and functional training...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Among the fewest drugs discovered are those belonging to the class of anxiolytics. Although some drug targets for anxiety disorders are established, it is hard to modify and selectively choose the active principle for those targets. Thus, the ethnomedical approach to treating anxiety disorders remains one of the most prevalent ways for (self)managing the symptoms. Melissa officinalis L. (lemon balm) has been extensively used as an ethnomedicinal remedy for the treatment of different psyche-related symptoms, especially dose related to restlessness...

BACKGROUND: Depression is more common in diabetic patients, with a 1.5-fold increased risk of death.Melissa officinalis (M. officinalis) have anti-diabetic and anti-depression activities. The study aimed to determine the efficacy of M. officinalis extract on depression, anxiety, and sleep quality in patients with type 2 diabetes with depressive symptoms. METHODS: In this double-blind clinical trial, 60 volunteer patients (age range 20-65 years) with type 2 diabetes mellitus with symptoms of depression were randomized into the intervention (received 700 mg/day hydroalcoholic extract; n = 30) or control group (received 700 mg/day toasted flour; n = 30)...

Rosmarinic acid (RA), an ester of caffeic acid and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyllactic acid, is a potent radical scavenger, a chelator of prooxidant ions, and an inhibitor of lipid peroxidation. RA-containing extracts are widely used natural antioxidants in food products, and many herbal preparations and food supplements, containing RA, are marketed with claims of beneficial health effects. The current study investigated the effectiveness of subcritical water extraction (SWE) for the recovery of RA from lemon balm ( Melissa officinalis ), as a "green" alternative to conventional hydro-alcoholic extraction...

Herbal infusions are highly popular beverages consumed daily due to their health benefits and antioxidant properties. However, the presence of plant toxins, such as tropane alkaloids, constitutes a recent health concern for herbal infusions. This work presents an optimized and validated methodology based on the QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) extraction procedure followed by Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography combined with Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-ToF-MS) for the determination of tropane alkaloids (atropine, scopolamine, anisodamine, and homatropine) in herbal infusions, in accordance with criteria established by Commission Recommendation EU No...

CONTEXT: Lyme disease is the most common, tick-borne disease in the USA. While most patients successfully recover with antibiotics, some patients experience persistent symptoms for months to years. Patients who attribute chronic symptoms to Lyme disease commonly use herbal supplements. The complexity, variability in dose and formulation, and lack of data for these herbal compounds make it difficult to assess their efficacy and safety. OBJECTIVE: This review examines the evidence for the antimicrobial activity, safety, and drug-drug interactions of 18 herbal supplements that patients commonly use for treatment of persistent symptoms attributed to Lyme disease...

The aim of this study was to assess influence of cadmium and zinc treatments on antioxidant activity combined with the photosynthesis efficiency in a popular herb lemon balm ( Melissa officinalis L.). Plants were grown under greenhouse conditions by the pot method. The Mn, Cu, Cd, and Zn contents in soil and plants were measured by HR-CS FAAS. The activity of net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, intercellular CO2 , and index of chlorophyll in leaves were determined for all investigated species...

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) is commonly consumed as an herbal tea for its antioxidant health benefits. Young seedlings known as microgreens are popular for their distinct flavors and can contain higher mineral content on a dry weight basis compared to their adult counterparts. However, the use of microgreens for herbal teas has not been previously investigated. In this study, lemon balm was grown to adult and microgreen harvest stages and prepared as herbal teas by brewing with boiled (100 °C) water for 5 minutes and room temperature water (22 °C) for 2 hours...

Depression is a mental health disorder that develops as a result of complex psycho-neuro-immuno-endocrinological disturbances. This disease presents with mood disturbances, persistent sadness, loss of interest and impaired cognition, which causes distress to the patient and significantly affects the ability to function and have a satisfying family, social and professional life. Depression requires comprehensive management, including pharmacological treatment. Because pharmacotherapy of depression is a long-term process associated with the risk of numerous adverse drug effects, much attention is paid to alternative therapy methods, including phytopharmacotherapy, especially in treating mild or moderate depression...

Plants are rich in bioactive phytochemicals that often display medicinal properties. These can play an important role in the production of health-promoting food additives and the replacement of artificial ones. In this sense, this study aimed to characterise the polyphenolic profile and bioactive properties of the decoctions, infusions and hydroethanolic extracts of three plants: lemon balm ( Melissa officinalis L.), sage ( Salvia officinalis L.) and spearmint ( Mentha spicata L.). Total phenolic content ranged from 38...

BACKGROUND: Candidiasis is a common oral and vaginal infection. Some papers have presented that the essential oils of Lamiaceae plants can have antifungal activity. This study aimed to investigate the activity of 7 essential oils of the Lamiaceae family with known phytochemical compositions against Candida fungi. METHODS: Forty-four strains belonging to six species were tested: C. albicans , C. glabrata , C. guilliermondii , C. krusei , C. parapsilosis , and C. tropicalis ...