The aromatic and polyphenolic composition of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L. subsp. officinalis) tea

The chemical composition of the widely used herbal tea made from lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L. subsp. officinalis) was previously unknown. The qualitative and quantitative composition of the main aromatic and polyphenolic constituents of the infusion were examined and compared with those of the leaves before and after infusion. The dried lemon balm leaves originally contained 0.32% essential oil of which citral (neral + geranial) 0.13%, total polyphenol compounds 11.8% comprising total hydroxycinnamic compounds 11.3% (rosmarinic acid 4.1%) and total flavonoid compounds 0.5%. The tea contained 10 mg/l of essential oil (extraction yield 31%) with much more citral (74% of the essential oil). It also contained large amounts of polyphenol compounds (about 1.07 g/l) corresponding to a 93% extraction yield.     

Modulation of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm)

Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) is a traditional herbal medicine, which enjoys contemporary usage as a mild sedative, spasmolytic and antibacterial agent. It has been suggested, in light of in vitro cholinergic binding properties, that Melissa extracts may effectively ameliorate the cognitive deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease. To date, no study has investigated the effects on cognition and mood of administration of Melissa to healthy humans. The present randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, balanced-crossover study investigated the acute effects on cognition and mood of a standardised extract of M. officinalis. Twenty healthy, young participants received single doses of 300, 600 and 900 mg of M. officinalis (Pharmaton) or a matching placebo at 7-day intervals. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Cognitive Drug Research (CDR) computerised test battery and two serial subtraction tasks immediately prior to dosing and at 1, 2.5, 4 and 6 h thereafter. In vitro IC(50) concentrations for the displacement of [3H]-(N)-nicotine and [3H]-(N)-scopolamine from nicotinic and muscarinic receptors in human occipital cortex tissue were also calculated. Results, utilising the cognitive factors previously derived from the CDR battery, included a sustained improvement in Accuracy of Attention following 600 mg of Melissa and time- and dose-specific reductions in both Secondary Memory and Working Memory factors. Self-rated "calmness," as assessed by Bond-Lader mood scales, was elevated at the earliest time points by the lowest dose, whilst "alertness" was significantly reduced at all time points following the highest dose. Both nicotinic and muscarinic binding were found to be low in comparison to the levels found in previous studies.     

Variability in the content and composition of essential oil from lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) cultivated in Poland

Essential oil from a few different population of M. officinalis cultivated in Poland has been investigated. The percentage of essential oil ranged from 0.08 to 0.25 ml/100 g in the leaves and from 0.06 to 0.167 ml/100 g in the herb and was higher in the plant material from experimental patch than that from commercial cultivations. Comparative determinations of the essential oil in fresh and dried material showed slightly higher content of the oil in the fresh one. The analysis of the oil composition has been performed by GC and GC/MS. Great differences in the contents of citral, citronellal, linalool, nerol, geraniol beta-caryophyllene and beta-caryophyllene oxide among the populations has been found. Effect of the harvest time, drying and storage on the composition of lemon balm oil has also been studied.     

The effects of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) pretreatment on the resistance of the heart to myocardial injury

Context: The antihyperlipidemic, antiarrhythmic, neuroprotective and hepatoprotective effects of Melissa officinalis L. (Lamiaceae) have been reported. However, no study has examined its effects on the resistance of the heart to stressful conditions.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of aqueous extract of M. officinalis aerial parts on Wistar rat heart with/without cardiac injury.

Materials and methods: Animals were grouped as control, isoproterenol (ISO), M. officinalis without (M50, M100, and M200) and with isoproterenol (M50?+?ISO, M100?+?ISO, and M200?+?ISO). The aqueous extract of M. officinalis was orally administered at dosages of 50, 100, and 200?mg/kg/d, respectively, for 7 consecutive days. On the 6th and 7th day, ISO, M50?+?ISO, M100?+?ISO, and M200?+?ISO groups received 85?mg/kg of isoproterenol for myocardial injury induction. On day 8, hemodynamic parameters were recorded and samplings were done.

Results: The extract (50, 100, and 200?mg/kg) significantly reduced the heart rate (264?±?5, 259?±?5 and 281?±?3 versus 377?±?13 in control group, p?<?0.01). Blood pressure was significantly decreased in M50?+?ISO (75?±?5) versus M50 (110?±?6) and M100?+?ISO (72?±?6) versus M100 (105?±?5?mmHg, p?<?0.01). The malondialdehyde levels of the injured hearts were lower in M50?+?ISO and M100?+?ISO groups than in the ISO group (p?<?0.05). Serum cardiac troponin I was higher in the M200?+?ISO group (5.1?±?1.7) than in the ISO group (2.7?±?0.7?ng/ml, p?<?0.05).

Conclusion: The lower dose of extract, by improving the balance of the redox system and by reducing the heart rate, may increase the heart resistance to injury. However, the higher doses of extract may intensify the injury of ischemic heart.     

Anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) extract in rats: Influence of administration and gender

Objective:

To analyse the behavioral effects of Melissa officinalis extract in rats following acute or subacute treatment.

Materials and Methods:

The behavioral effects of an acute or subacute (10-day course) orally administered M. officinalis (MO; 0, 30, 100 or 300 mg/kg) ethanol extract were evaluated in male and female Wistar rats in elevated plus-maze (EPM), forced swimming (FS) and open field (OF) tests. The effects of diazepam (DZP; 1 mg/kg) and fluoxetine (FXT; 10 mg/kg) were also assessed.

Results:

In the EPM test, the percentage of open arm entries and open arm times of both males and females given the subacute M. officinalis ethanol extract were significantly higher than those of the vehicle-treated animals but were at levels similar to those observed in the DZP group, regardless of the treatment length. In the FS test, immobility duration was significantly lower in both males and females treated with the plant extract when compared to vehicle-treated counterparts. A 10-day treatment with FXT induced the same antidepressant response, regardless of gender, and was more effective than the M. officinalis extract. Male and female rats demonstrated distinct gender profiles, and treatment × gender interactions were observed. Locomotion in the EPM and OF tests was not significantly altered by treatments.

Conclusion:

The potential psychoactive properties of M. officinalis may provide a unique pharmacological alternative for certain psychiatric disorders; however, the efficacy appears to be dependent on both gender and administration length.KEY WORDS: Anxiety, depression, gender, locomotion, Melissa officinalis     

Further triterpenes from Melissa officinalis L (author's transl)

Further Triterpenes from Melissa officinalis L. Melissa off. contains as further triterpenes pomolic acid, three 2-hydroxy- and one 29-hydroxytriterpenic acid. The root contains betulinic acid, betulin and three 2-hydroxytriterpenic acids. The configuration of the 2,3-dihydroxytriterpenic acids was proved by synthesis of the four isomeric 2-hydroxy-derivatives of oleanolic acid, ursolic acid and α-amyrin.     

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.): an evidence-based systematic review by the Natural Standard Research Collaboration

An evidence-based systematic review including written and statistical analysis of scientific analysis of scientific literature, expert opinion, folkloric precedent, history, pharmacology, kinetic/dynamics, interactions, adverse effect, toxicology, and dosing.     

Melissa officinalis L. essential oil: antitumoral and antioxidant activities

Melissa officinalis L (lemon balm) is a traditional herbal medicine used widely as a mild sedative, spasmolytic and antibacterial agent. This paper focuses on the analysis of the chemical composition and the biological activities of M. officinalis essential oil obtained under controlled harvesting and drying conditions. An in-vitro cytotoxicity assay using MTT indicated that this oil was very effective against a series of human cancer cell lines (A549, MCF-7, Caco-2, HL-60, K562) and a mouse cell line (B16F10). This oil possessed antioxidant activity, as evidenced by reduction of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH). These results pointed to the potential use of M. officinalis essential oil as an antitumoral agent.     

The components of Melissa officinalis L. that influence protein biosynthesis in-vitro

An investigation of an inhibiting activity of a substance(s) in a tanninless extract from Melissa officinalis leaves on protein biosynthesis in-vitro has been made. At least two components which inhibited protein biosynthesis were present in the extract; these were caffeic acid and an unidentified glycoside. Freshly prepared buffered solutions of caffeic acid inhibited protein biosynthesis less than solutions stored for several days at room temperature (20 degrees C). In this case derivatives of caffeic acid were formed, which may be responsible for the increase in the inhibitory effect of stored caffeic acid solution. An inhibitor, in the homogeneous state, was also isolated from the glycoside fraction of M. officinalis. Studies on the mechanism of the action of this inhibitor revealed its effect is to use the result of a direct interaction with elongation factor EF-2, and the blocking of the binding reaction of EF-2 with ribosomes.     

Modulation of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of single doses of Melissa officinalis (Lemon balm) with human CNS nicotinic and muscarinic receptor-binding properties.

Melissa officinalis (Lemon balm) is a herbal medicine that has traditionally been attributed with memory-enhancing properties, but which is currently more widely used as a mild sedative and sleep aid. In a previous study it was demonstrated that a commercial Melissa extract led to dose-specific increases in calmness, and dose-dependent decrements in timed memory task performance. However, the extract utilized in that study did not exhibit in vitro cholinergic receptor-binding properties. The current study involved an initial screening of samples of M. officinalis for human acetylcholinesterase inhibition and cholinergic receptor-binding properties. The cognitive and mood effects of single doses of the most cholinergically active dried leaf were then assessed in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, balanced crossover study. Following the in vitro analysis, 20 healthy, young participants received single doses of 600, 1000, and 1600 mg of encapsulated dried leaf, or a matching placebo, at 7-day intervals. Cognitive performance and mood were assessed predose and at 1, 3, and 6 h postdose using the Cognitive Drug Research computerized assessment battery and Bond-Lader visual analog scales, respectively. In vitro analysis of the chosen extract established IC(50) concentrations of 0.18 and 3.47 mg ml(-1), respectively, for the displacement of [(3)H]-(N)-nicotine and [(3)H]-(N)-scopolamine from nicotinic and muscarinic receptors in the human cerebral cortex tissue. However, no cholinesterase inhibitory properties were detected. The most notable cognitive and mood effects were improved memory performance and increased 'calmness' at all postdose time points for the highest (1600 mg) dose. However, while the profile of results was overwhelmingly favorable for the highest dose, decrements in the speed of timed memory task performance and on a rapid visual information-processing task increased with decreasing dose. These results suggest that doses of Melissa officinalis at or above the maximum employed here can improve cognitive performance and mood and may therefore be a valuable adjunct in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The results also suggest that different preparations derived from the same plant species may exhibit different properties depending on the process used for the sample preparation.     

Flavonoids and phenolic acids of Nepeta cataria L. var. citriodora (Becker) Balb. (Lamiaceae)

Luteolin 7-O-glucuronide, luteolin 7-O-glucurono-(1-->6)-glucoside, apigenin 7-O-glucuronide as well as free aglycones luteolin and apigenin have been isolated from lemon catnip herb (Nepeta cataria L. var citriodora). Luteolin 7-O-glucurono-(1-->6)-glucoside is probably a new compound, for the first time described. Two minor constituents of flavonoid fraction have been identified as apigenin 7-O-glucoside and luteolin 7-O-glucoside by means of HPLC method. The percentage of total flavonoids determined by use of spectrophotometric method was in the range from 0.30 to 0.46% of dry mass. In phenolic acid fraction, caffeic, rosmarinic and p-coumaric acids have been identified. Total amount of phenolic acids determined by spectrophotometric method was in the range of 0.75% to 1.4 % and the content of rosmarinic acid quantified by HPLC method fluctuated in the wide range from 0.06% to 0.15% depending on the sample. The results of the investigations showed that the composition of flavonoid compounds and phenolic acids in lemon catnip are similar to those in lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.). The amount of flavonoids are similar in both plants, and the percentage of rosmarinic acid is about ten times lower in lemon catnip than in lemon balm. The presence of luteolin, apigenin and their glycosides, caffeic acid as well as the previously described terpenoids (ursolic acid, citral, nerol. geraniol) suggests the possibility of the use of lemon catnip herb as a constituent of phytopharmaceutical preparations with mild sedative, antispasmodic, antioxidative and antiinflammatory action.     

Terpenoids and sterols from Nepeta cataria L. var. citriodora (Lamiaceae)

Isolation and GC/MS quantitative determination of ursolic acid in the herb of Nepeta cataria var. citriodora have been performed. The content of this compound was in the range 0.95-1.30%. Daucosterol (beta-sitosterol 3-O-beta-D-glucoside) was also isolated from the plant, in addition to small amounts of beta-sitosterol, campesterol, alpha-amyrin and beta-amyrin. The content and composition of essential oil in samples of the Nepeta cataria var. citriodora herb have been analysed as well.