Ethnomedicinal, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Investigations of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt.

Hiwa Ahmed

doi:10.3390/molecules24010102

Abstract

Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. (PF) is an annual herbal medicinal, aromatic, functional food, and ornamental plant that belongs to the mint family, Lamiaceae. The origin of perilla traces back to East Asian countries (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, and India), where it has been used as a valuable source of culinary and traditional medicinal uses. The leaves, seeds, and stems of P. frutescens are used for various therapeutic applications in folk medicine. In the absence of a comprehensive review regarding all aspects of perilla, this review aims to present an overview pertaining to the botanical drug, ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and biological activity. It was found that the taxonomic classification of perilla species is quite confused, and the number of species is vague. Perilla has traditionally been prescribed to treat depression-related disease, anxiety, asthma, chest stuffiness, vomiting, coughs, colds, flus, phlegm, tumors, allergies, intoxication, fever, headache, stuffy nose, constipation, abdominal pain, and indigestion, and acts as an analgesic, anti-abortive agent, and a sedative. Until now, 271 natural molecules have been identified in perilla organs including phenolic acids, flavonoids, essential oils, triterpenes, carotenoids, phytosterols, fatty acids, tocopherols, and policosanols. In addition to solvent extracts, these individual compounds (rosmarinic acid, perillaldehyde, luteolin, apigenin, tormentic acid, and isoegomaketone) have attracted researchers’ interest for its pharmacological properties. Perilla showed various biological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-allergic, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and neuroprotection effects. Although the results are promising in preclinical studies (in vitro and in vivo), clinical studies are insufficient; therefore, further study needs to be done to validate its therapeutic effects and to ensure its safety and efficacy.

Highlights

Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. is an annual herbal plant that belongs to the mint family, Lamiaceae [1,2].It is commonly called perilla [3] or by other names [4]
Perilla is historically an important herb that has been recorded in Chinese medical classics since around 500 A.D., especially in records named “Ming Yi Bie Lu” (Renown Physicians’ Extra Records), and others where the herb is registered as a drug named “su” which means comforting the body and promoting the blood circulation
2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced atopic dermatitis in C57BL/6 mice was evaluated by Heo et al [77] and the results revealed that an aqueous extract (100 μg/mL) of P. frutescens leaf (PFL) could significantly inhibit DNFB-induced atopic inflammation by alleviating the expression of MMP-9 and IL-31, as well as augmenting T-bet activity

Summary

Introduction

Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. is an annual herbal plant that belongs to the mint family, Lamiaceae [1,2].It is commonly called perilla [3] or by other names (beefsteak plant, purple mint, perilla mint, Chines basil, Korean perilla, zisu in China, shiso in Japan, and tia to in Vietnam) [4]. The drug items of the herb in traditional Chinese medicine are dried “Perilla leaf”, “Perilla stalk” and “Perilla seed” corresponding to Folium Perillae, Caulis Perillae, and Fructus Perillae in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (1990), while in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia (1991), Herba Perillae is listed as a drug derived from the leaves and twigs of perilla [5].

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