Lemon Verbena

OTHER NAME(S): Cedrón, Herb Louisa, Hierba Luisa, Lemon-Scented Verbena, Louisa, Verbena Citrodora, Verveine Citronnée, Verveine Citronnelle, Aloysia citrodora, Aloysia triphylla, Lippia citrodora, Lippia triphylla, Verbena triphylla, Zappania citrodora, Verbena de Limón, Verveine citronnelle

Overview

Lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora) is a flowering shrub native to South America. Its leaves and flowering tops are used in foods, drinks, and medicine.

Lemon verbena contains chemicals that might reduce swelling. Essential oils made from lemon verbena contain chemicals that might kill mites and bacteria.

People use lemon verbena for muscle damage caused by exercise, insomnia, joint pain, multiple sclerosis (MS), and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses

References
  1. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
  2. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
  3. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  4. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21. Part 182 -- Substances Generally Recognized As Safe. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=182
  5. Caturla N, Funes L, Perez-Fons L, Micol V. A randomized, double-blindcd, placebo-controlled study of the effect of a combination of lemon verbena extract and fish oil omega 3 fatty acid on joint management. J Altern Complement Med 2011;17:1051.
  6. Buchwald-Werner S, Naka I, Wilhelm M, Schütz E, Schoen C, Reule C. Effects of lemon verbena extract (Recoverben) supplementation on muscle strength and recovery after exhaustive exercise: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018 Jan 23;15:5.
  7. Mauriz E, Vallejo D, Tuñón MJ, et al. Effects of dietary supplementation with lemon verbena extracts on serum inflammatory markers of multiple sclerosis patients. Nutr Hosp. 2014 Nov 4;31(2):764-71.
  8. Boix-Castejón M, Herranz-López M, Pérez Gago A, et al. Hibiscus and lemon verbena polyphenols modulate appetite-related biomarkers in overweight subjects: a randomized controlled trial. Food Funct. 2018;9(6):3173-3184.
  9. Afrasiabian F, Mirabzadeh Ardakani M, Rahmani K, et al. Aloysia citriodora Palau (lemon verbena) for insomnia patients: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of efficacy and safety. Phytother Res. 2019;33(2):350-359.
  10. Mashayekhi-Sardoo H, Razavi BM, Ekhtiari M, Kheradmand N, Imenshahidi M. Gastroprotective effects of both aqueous and ethanolic extracts of lemon verbena leaves against indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2020;23(12):1639-46.
  11. Lee MC, Hsu YJ, Ho CS, et al. Evaluation of the efficacy of supplementation with Planox® lemon verbena extract in improving oxidative stress and muscle damage: a randomized double-blind controlled trial. Int J Med Sci. 2021;18(12):2641-52.
  12. Martínez-Rodríguez A, Martínez-Olcina M, Mora J, Navarro P, Caturla N, Jones J. Anxiolytic effect and improved sleep quality in individuals taking Lippia citriodora extract. Nutrients. 2022;14(1):218.
  13. Haryalchi K, Kazemi Aski S, Mansour Ghanaie M, et al. Effects of the aroma of lemone verbena (Aloysia citriodora Paláu) essential oil on anxiety and the hemodynamic profile before cesarean section: A randomized clinical trial. Health Sci Rep 2023;6(5):e1282.
  14. Gao X, Liu J, Li B, Xie J. Antibacterial Activity and Antibacterial Mechanism of Lemon Verbena Essential Oil. Molecules 2023;28(7):3102.