Verbena Extract Research Articles

Clinical and pharmacological aspects of vervain (Verbena officinalis L.) using in the treatment of respiratory system diseases (literature review)

In the pharmacotherapy of the respiratory system diseases, phytotherapy attracts attention due to the high preventive and therapeutic potential of biologically active substances of medicinal plants. At the same time, verification of the effectiveness and safety of herbal drugs is necessary. That is why scientific research of folk medicine plants including common verbena (Verbena officinalis L.) of the Verbenaceae family has been carried out.
 The aim of the work is the analysis of verified data on the chemical composition of the herb verbena, the results of pharmacological and toxicological studies directed at determining the effectiveness and safety in the treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract.
 The search for verified data using Internet resources, comparative analysis, systematization and generalization of data were carried out.
 The main secondary metabolites that determine the profile of verbena herb biological activity are iridoid glycosides (verbenalin, aucubine and gastatoside), as well as phenylpropanoid glycosides (verbascoside, isoverbascoside and eukovoside). Thus, the antibacterial and antifungal activity of certain verbena extracts against clinically significant strains of bacteria and fungi has been proven. The anti-inflammatory effect of various extracts of the Verbena herb was established on carrageenan-induced and formalin-induced edema models. The antioxidant effect of certain verbena herb fractions has been proven by in vitro methods. It is important at presence of diseases for which oxidative stress is an important pathogenetic factor. The results of clinical studies have confirmed the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activity of the vervaine herb decoction applied topically in the case of chronic gingivitis. The expediency of verbascoside use for increasing the barrier functions of the oral mucosa, promoting epithelization, reducing pain and other signs of inflammation in oral mucositis against the background of tumour chemotherapy has been substantiated. Toxicological studies have shown that different verbena herb extracts belong to the class of low-toxic or practically non-toxic substances when taken orally.
 Thus, the antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of verbena, as well as its high level of safety, substantiate the prospects for the use of this medicinal plant in the treatment of the respiratory system diseases.

Culinary Decoctions: Spectrophotometric Determination of Various Polyphenols Coupled with their Antioxidant Activities

The aqueous extracts of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.), fennel (Foe- niculum vulgare Miller), olive (Olea europaea L.), sage (Salvia officinalis L.), thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), wild thyme (T. serpyllum L.), tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze), and verbena (Verbena officinalis L.) were investigated for polyphe- nol, tannins, antocyanins and flavonoids. Among the nine culinary herbs, tea and wild thyme extracts contained the higher phenol content of 874.10 ± 3.50 GAE (g gallic acid equivalents/Kg (dry wt.) extract) and 945.70 ± 0.81 GAE, respec- tively, while the fennel extract contained the lowest content at 149.90 ± 1.16 GAE. Sage and verbena extracts do not con- tain any anthocyanins and have low levels of tannins (2.40 ± 0.12 and 1.97± 0.06 CE, respectively). Tea rich in tannins and verbena and sage, totally devoid of anthocyanins, have higher antioxidant activities according to the ABTS/DPPH as- says. However, the results fail to show any positive correlation between phenol contents and antioxidant activities.

Effects of potassium apigenin and verbena extract on the wound healing process of SKH‐1 mouse skin

Tissue repair is a complex process, which may be favoured or inhibited by different factors. Potassium apigenin (AP) and other flavonoids present in verbena extract (PLX(®) ) possess powerful anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of topical treatment with AP and PLX gels on wounds inflicted on SKH-1/CRL mice. Forty-eight SKH-1 mice were used (4 groups with 12 animals each), which were subjected to wound excision with a round scalpel, 4 mm in diameter, on the dorsal skin. The animals were divided into four groups: Group I received topical applications of apigenin gel; Group II received PLX gel; Group III received vehicle gel; Group IV acted as control. Wound contraction, reepithelialisation, inflammation and neovascularisation (by means of immunohistochemical staining with anti-laminin) were recorded at study periods established at 2, 7 and 14 days. Reepithelialisation was faster in Groups I and II at 7 days (56·25% grade 3 and 43·75% grade 4) compared with the other groups. The degree of inflammation showed improvement with a tendency towards statistical significance in Groups I and II at 2 and 7 days. Anti-laminin staining was more intense in the group treated with PLX at the 2- and 7-day periods. Topical treatment with PLX gel improved the degree of reepithelialisation and inflammation, and favoured neo-vascularisation of the wounds at 2 and 7 days following surgery.