SENSORIAL. Balm mint.

Transcription

1 SENSORIAL Balm mint

2 Balm mint BOTANY Melissa officinalis L., common name Balm Mint. This aromatic perennial plant is a member of the Lamiaceae (Labiatae) family. It grows typically about one meter tall; the stem is quadrangular and slightly hairy; the leaves are petiolate, opposite, yellowish-green, toothed, up to 7.5 cm long and they smell of lemon; the flowers are whitish (occasionally yellow or pink), cm long, arranged in axillary verticils in clusters of 3-6. They bloom from the end of summer until the middle of autumn. The fruit is a tetra-achene, mm long and 0.9 mm in diameter. Balm Mint is native to the Mediterranean regions of Europe, west of Asia and north of Africa, wherefrom it spread into northern temperate regions. It grows wild up to 1000 m altitude, in humid and shadowy nitrified areas, which also receive sunlight because this plant does not tolerate frost. Balm mint extract is produced form the leaves of Melissa officinalis. V08-03/ ,40910,41501,42471,43800,

3 CHEMISTRY Hydroxycinnamic derivatives Balm mint leaves contain 4-7% of hydroxycinnamic derivatives. The main active is rosmarinic acid, but also contains caffeic and chlorogenic acid amongst others. Flavonoids Luteolol-7-glucoside, luteolin-3-glucuronide, rhamnocitroside, apigenin and quercitroside. Other active ingredients Essential oils, ursolic acid, catechin tannins, mineral salts. TRADITIONAL USES Popular uses of balm mint are based on its properties to relieve neuralgia, migraine and low back pain, as well as on its wound healing action. It has also been used to treat nervous digestive and cardiac disorders, insomnia, etc. Balm mint is one of the components of the popular remedy Agua del Carmen, long used to treat digestive ailments. Rubbing the fresh leaves relieves the itching and pain of insect bites. Balm mint oil is popularly used as a skin relaxing and soothing agent. This oil is also used as an insect repellent. COSMETIC PROPERTIES Antioxidant activity Balm mint can be used as a natural source of antioxidants, because it has free radical scavenging activities. It has been demonstrated that its extracts inhibit the production of free radicals such as DPPH, hydroxyl and lipidic peroxides in a dose-dependent way (Canadanovic-Brunet, 2008). V08-03/ ,40910,41501,42471,43800,

4 Specifically, the aqueous extract of balm mint showed experimentally antioxidant activity that mainly can be assigned to rosmarinic acid and hydroxycinnamic derivatives. (Foster S. & Duke J., 1990). Therefore balm mint is suitable for anti-ageing products. Anti-inflammatory activity Balm mint methanol extract showed some antiinflammatory activity in the tetradecanoylphorbol- induced ear edema test (Alonso, J., 2004). In a study by Birdane et al. the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive (pain reduction) properties of Melissa officinalis L were examined. Two edemas were produced, one using histamine and the other carrageenan. The aqueous extract is applied at different dosages and compared with indomethacin and a control group. The antinociceptive effect is evaluated in the same conditions but one pain being caused by acetic acid and the other by formalin. The aqueous extract of balm mint reduces edema and inflammation, and reduces the nociceptive response. Furthermore, has antioxidant effects in pain caused for both carrageenan and formalin. Therefore, it is demonstrated that balm mint has anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and antioxidant properties (Birdane, 2007). Rosmarinic acid showed an anti-inflammatory activity in rat models, where carragenin was used to induce plantar edema. Experimentally, it was shown that rosmarinic acid acts on prostaglandin formation (PGE2), similarly to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. It also caused complement-c3 factor inhibition, an inflammatory process mediator not involving cyclooxygenase activity or Prostacyclin-synthase. Also, it reduced leukotriene B4 reduction in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (Alonso J., 2004). Osakabe et al. conducted a study were an extract containing 68% of rosmarinic acid is applied topically, and demonstrated it has anti-inflammatory properties, as it inhibits the adhesion between molecules, the synthesis of quimioquins and eicosanoids, that play a role in inflammation. It also works as an antioxidant, as it inhibits the oxidative damage in DNA (Osakabe, 2004). V08-03/ ,40910,41501,42471,43800,

5 Therefore, balm mint is suitable for cosmetic decongestant formulations. Sedative activity Studies carried out with mice, showed that intraperitoneal injections of a hydroalcoholic extract of balm mint had hypno-sedative effects, assessed by observing the animals motility and exploration, as well as by observing a strengthening of the effects of previously administrated barbiturics. Balm mint oil also had the same effects. Inhalation of the essential oil produced mild sedative effects on rats. The sedative action of water extracts (equal proportions) of balm mint (Melissa officinalis) and chamomile (Matricaria recutita), was evaluated in a clinical study with 22 patients suffering from different nervous disorders and anxiety. After a few weeks treatment, the results revealed 68% symptoms improvement (excellent to good), 24% moderate effects and 8% no effects. The efficacy of a herbal blend composed of balm mint (Melissa officinalis) and valerian (Valeriana officinalis), was evidenced in a one-month clinical multicenter, double-blind and placebo controlled study on 98 volunteer patients suffering from moderate sleep disorders. The group treated with pills containing the herbal formula (80 mg balm mint and 120 mg valerian), at a dose of 3 daily pills, showed 33% improved sleep as compared to 9% of the placebo treated group (Alonso, J., 2004). Therefore, balm mint is suitable for cosmetic with sedative and relaxing activity. Antimicrobial activity This activity is due to the essential oil content in balm mint leaves. Mencherini conducted a study in 2007 where it as demonstrated by using DPPH test, the aqueous extract of balm mint has antioxidant properties thanks to its content in rosmarinic acid, able to scavenge free radicals (Mencherini, 2007). V08-03/ ,40910,41501,42471,43800,

6 In a study performed by Stanojevic et al. en 2010, the anti-bacterial activity of different extracts was investigated, amongst them, the aqueous extract of Melissa officinalis L. and its possible synergy in vitro with different preservatives on a selection of polluting bacteria. It was demonstrated that the actives of Melissa officinalis L. increased significantly the efficacy of the analyzed preservatives. Therefore Balm Mint allows the use of lower concentrations of preservatives and can be used as a natural option. (Stanojevic, 2010). All of the essential oils have antimicrobial activity to a greater or lesser degree. This activity can be measured by using the phenol coefficient, which rates the antimicrobial strength or weakness of a certain oil comparing it with that of pure phenol (coefficient = 1.0). Phenol a component of essential oils shares some characteristics of alcohol, which result in antimicrobial activity. The highest the phenol coefficient of a certain essential oil is, the strongest its antimicrobial activity becomes. Different research studies have confirmed the antimicrobial properties of essential oils, especially on antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus or vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. Essential oils show antiseptic effects against different pathogenic bacteria, even antibiotic-resistant strains. Some essential oils are also effective against the fungi and yeasts (Candida) that cause mycosis. The active doses are generally low. In general, the doses calculated for in vitro experiments may be used for external applications. Compounds such as linalool, citral, geraniol, or thymol are more antiseptic than phenol by 5, 5.2, 7.1 and 20 times respectively (Bruneton, J., 2001). Therefore, balm mint extract is recommended to formulate cosmetic products with purifying and antiseptic activity. Insecticide activity Pavela R (2004) evaluated in a study the insecticide activity of the methanol extract of balm mint and other plants. This extract showed insecticide activity against the third larval stage of Spodoptera littoralis. V08-03/ ,40910,41501,42471,43800,

7 This extract significantly impaired the growth index of that stage. Thus, balm mint extract is also useful to formulate cosmetic products with insecticide activity. COSMETIC APPLICATIONS Action Active Cosmetic applications Antioxidant Hydroxicinnamic derivatives Anti-aging Sedative Essential oil Relaxing Sedative Anti-inflamatory Rosmarinic acid Decongestive Antimicrobial Essential oil Rosmarinic acid Purifying Antiseptic Insecticide - Insecticide RECOMMENDED DOSE The recommended dose is between 0.5% and 5.0%. BIBLIOGRAPHY Alonso, J. Tratado de Fitofármacos y Nutracéuticos. Barcelona: Corpus, 2004, p: (633.8 ALO). Birdane Y.O. et al. Anti-inflammatory and Antinociceptive Effects of Melissa Officinalis L. in Rodents. Revue de Médecine Vétérinaire. 2007, 158(02): Canadanovic-Brunet J. et al. Radical scavenging, antibacterial, and antiproliferative activities of Melissa officinalis L. extracts. Journal of Medicinal Food. 2008, 11(1): Foster S, Duke JA. Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, V08-03/ ,40910,41501,42471,43800,

8 Hartman D. et al. Two US practitioners' experience of using essential oils for wound care. Journal of Wound Care. 2002, 11(8): Mencherini T. et al. Triterpene, antioxidant, and antimicrobial compounds from Melissa officinalis. Journal of Natural Products. 2007, 70(12): Osakabe N. et al. Rosmarinic acid inhibits epidermal inflammatory responses: anticarcinogenic effect of Perilla frutescens extract in the murine two-stage skin model. Carcinogenesis. 2004, 25(4): Pavela, R. Insecticidal activity of certain medicinal plants. Fitoterapia, 2004; 75 (7): (ref. 6354). Stanojevic D. et al. In vitro synergistic antibacterial activity of Melissa officinalis L. and some preservatives. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research. 2010, 8(1): Wichtl, M. Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals (3rd Ed.). Stuttgart: Medpharm, 2004, p: (633.8 WIC). Websites: [accessed February 2007]. V08-03/ ,40910,41501,42471,43800,

9 PROVITAL. S.A. Pol. Ind. Can Salvatella Gorgs Lladó, Barberà del Vallès Barcelona (España) Tel. (+34) V06-02/ ,12310,12340,12350,12710,