Verbena
officinalis. Vervain,
Wizard's herb Family: Verbenaceae PART USED:Whole herb TASTE: Very bitter ODOR: Aromatic when rubbed ACTIONS GROUP: Herbs for the mind and emotions- Thymoleptics
1. Antispasmodic.[1,2]
2. Bitter tonic.[2] Nervine tonic.[4]
3. Diaphoretic,[1,2,3]-mild.[1]
4. Sedative nervine.[1,2]
5. Thymoleptic.[1,2]
6. Galactagogue.[1] Digestive aid.[4]
7. Emetic.[4] INDICATIONS
1. Spasmodic conditions including epilepsy.[1]
St. Vitus dance.[1] Convulsions.[4]
Generalised seizures.[1]
2. Hysteria.[1,2] Nervous headaches.[1]
Depression and melancholy.[1,2,3]
Neuralgias.[1] Insomnia.[1]
3. Liver disorders generally.[2] Jaundice.[1,2,3]
Cholecystalgia.[1,2]
4. Heart and circulatory weaknesses.[1]
5. Fevers, including intermittent fevers.[2]
Fever in early stages.[1,2] Fever
of influenza.[2] Debility of convalescence
especially with depression after fever, especially influenza.[1,2]
6. Dysmenorrhoea especially with migraine.[1]
7. Dyspepsia.[1]
8. Rheumatic pain.[1]
9. Asthma. Coughs[4] including whooping
cough.[1] Colds.[4]
10. Wounds, ulcers.[1] Sprains.[1]
11. Urinary disorders generally.[1] SPECIFIC INDICATIONS: Depression and debility of convalescence
after fevers, especially influenza.[1] COMBINATIONS
- Depressive states, with Scutellaria,
Lady's slipper and Avena.
PREPARATIONS:
3X/day
Dried herb 2-4 g,[1,2,4] or
by infusion.[1,2]
Fluid extract 1:1 in 25% alcohol 2-4
ml.[1] 1:2 in 25% alchol.[3]
Tincture 1:1 in 40% alcohol 5-10 ml.[1,2]
Local: Lotion, poultice.[1,2]
DESCRIPTION: A perennial herb with a woody stalk and several erect stems.
Leaves pinnately lobed, rough, toothed, opoposite, the upper unstalked. Flowers
lilac two lipped, petals five lobed, in long, slender, leafless spikes. ORIGIN: England, Europe- particularly in the South, North
Africa and Asia. References
[1] British Herbal Pharmacopoeia 1983 Published by the British Herbal Medicine
Association ISBN 0 903032 07 4.
[2] Herbal Materia Medica Course Notes For Diploma of Naturopathy and Diploma
of Herbalism Students by Lydia Mottram.
[3] The Pharmaceutical Plant Company Pty Ltd ppcherbs.com.au
[4] Potter's New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs and Preparations R.C.
Wren Revised by Elizabeth M. Williamson and Fred J Evans. First published in
Great Britain in 1988 and reprinted in 1989 and 1994 by the C. W. Daniel Company
Limited. 1 Church Path, Saffron Walden Essex. Published 1988 Printed and bound
by Biddles, Guildford ISBN 085207 1973. Images
1. plantas.facilisimo.com
Retrieved 14-July-14
2.
growsonyou.com by Andrewr Inner Path can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from
the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant
medicinally.
Glycosides: verbenalin,[1,2]
and verbenine.[2] A bitter principle.[1]
Tannin.[1] Volatile oil.[2,3]
Mucilage.[3]
Iridoids, verbenin, verbenalin and bastatoside. References
[1] British Herbal Pharmacopoeia 1983 Published by the British Herbal Medicine
Association ISBN 0 903032 07 4.
[2] Herbal Materia Medica Course Notes For Diploma of Naturopathy and Diploma
of Herbalism Students by Lydia Mottram.
[3] Drogenkunde, 8th Ed. Heinz, A., Hoppe. Pub. W. de Gruyter (1975) Berlin
[4] Mcllroy, R. J. in "The Plant Glycosides", Pub. Arnold (1951) London
Research.
Verbena is reputed to have weak parasympathomimetic acitivy and be of low toxicity.[1]
Verbenalin is a mild purgative in animals.[2] References
[1] Potter's New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs and Preparations R.C.
Wren Revised by Elizabeth M. Williamson and Fred J Evans. First published in
Great Britain in 1988 and reprinted in 1989 and 1994 by the C. W. Daniel Company
Limited. 1 Church Path, Saffron Walden Essex. Published 1988 Printed and bound
by Biddles, Guildford ISBN 085207 1973.
[2] Inouye, H. et al. (1974) Planta Med. 25, 285
Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of the topical preparation
of Verbena officinalis L. Calvo MI. Abstract
Verbena officinalis has traditionally been used in herbal medicine in Navarra,
Spain, in the treatment of topical inflammation. Due to the anti-inflammatory
activity of Verbena officinalis 50% methanolic extract in i.p. and topical administration,
the effects of several formulations were prepared and studied using carrageenan-induced
edema and formalin testing. Piroxicam gel and methyl salicylate ointment were
studied as positive control for anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity, respectively.
The edema inhibition of the preparations containing extract at the doses of
1-3% w/w were significantly different from the control group. The anti-inflammatory
effect of VO-3% was similar to the effect of piroxicam gel 3 h after carrageenan
injection. The analgesic activity of topical preparation with more than 2.5%
w/w was observed in the early phase. This activity was observed in concentrations
of more than 2% w/w in the late phase. The topical analgesic activity of the
extract was less than the analgesic activity of methyl salicylate ointment.
PMID: 16723201 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2006.03.037 J Ethnopharmacol. 2006 Oct
11;107(3):380-2. Epub 2006 Apr 18.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Novel neuroprotective effects of the aqueous extracts from Verbena officinalis
Linn. Lai SW, Yu MS, Yuen WH, Chang RC. Abstract
Verbena officinialis Linn. (Verbenaceae) is a perennial plant which has been
used as herbal medicine or health supplement in both Western and Eastern countries
for centuries. It has been used to treat acute dysentery, enteritis, amenorrhea
and depression. In view of its wide array of biological effects, we hypothesized
that V. officinalis can exert cytoprotective effects on cells of the central
nervous system. Pre-treatment of aqueous extracts of V. officinalis significantly
attenuated the toxicity of beta-amyloid (Abeta) peptide and reducing agent dithiothreitol
in primary cultures of cortical neurons. As extracellular accumulation of Abeta
peptide is an important cytotoxic factor involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD),
we have further explored its neuroprotective effect against Abeta. Treatment
of V. officinalis attenuated Abeta-triggered DEVD- and VDVAD-cleavage activities
in a dose-dependent manner. Further studies elucidated that phosphorylation
of both interferon-inducing protein kinase (PKR) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase
(JNK) was attenuated in Abeta-treated neurons. Taken together, we have proved
our hypothesis by showing the novel neuroprotective effects of V. officinalis.
As V. officinalis has long been used for many years to be a folk medicine, our
study may provide a lead for its potential to be a neuroprotective agent against
neuronal loss in AD.
PMID: 16406021 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2005.11.009 Neuropharmacology.
2006 May;50(6):641-50. Epub 2006 Jan 6. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Short-term effects of Verbena officinalis Linn decoction on patients
suffering from chronic generalized gingivitis: Double-blind randomized controlled
multicenter clinical trial. Grawish ME, Anees MM, Elsabaa HM, Abdel-Raziq MS, Zedan W.
Abstract OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Verbena officinalis Linn decoction for
patients with chronic generalized gingivitis in a double-blind randomized controlled
multicenter clinical trial.
METHOD AND MATERIALS:
The patients in the test group and the control group were instructed to brush
and floss. Additionally, the patients in the test group were asked to rinse
their mouths with a V officinalis L decoction. The primary clinical outcome
was the Gingival Index (GI). The GI and Plaque Index (PI) were measured at baseline
(day 0), day 14, and day 28.
RESULTS:
Two hundred and sixty patients participated (control group = 130, and test group
= 130). The clinical features of both the test and control groups were improved
progressively throughout the time durations of day 0, day 14, and day 28 represented
by highly significant decreases in both GI and PI (P < .001). The Mann-Whitney
test revealed significant differences between the control and test groups for
GI and PI at the 14-day examination and the 28-day examination (P < .001).
At the beginning of the clinical trial, nonsignificant clinical differences
were found following the statistical analyses of both GI (P = .981) and PI (P
= .920) between the test and control groups.
CONCLUSIONS:
The tested V officinalis L decoction demonstrated efficacy in reducing tested
indices and thus has a promising ameliorative effect for treating patients with
chronic generalized gingivitis.
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
V officinalis L decoction has good clinical results with no adverse effects.
PMID: 26824082 DOI: 10.3290/j.qi.a35521 Quintessence Int. 2016;47(6):491-8.
doi: 10.3290/j.qi.a35521. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Antiinflammatory activity and chemical composition of extracts of Verbena
officinalis.
Deepak M, Handa SS. Abstract
In an attempt to locate the biologically active fraction(s) of the plant Verbena
officinalis Linn. (Verbenaceae), a preliminary screening of successive petroleum
ether, chloroform and methanol extracts of aerial parts for antiinflammatory
activity using carrageenan paw oedema model was carried out. All three extracts
were found to exhibit antiinflammatory activity with the chloroform extract
being the most active. Chemical investigations of petroleum ether and chloroform
extracts led to the isolation of beta-sitosterol, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid,
3-epiursolic acid, 3-epioleanolic acid, and minor triterpenoids of derivatives
of ursolic acid and oleanolic acids. Chromatographic purification of the methanol
extract yielded two iridoid glucosides, verbenalin and hastatoside, a phenylpropanoid
glycoside, verbascoside and beta-sitosterol-D-glucoside.
PMID: 10960904 Phytother Res. 2000 Sep;14(6):463-5. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Antioxidant and antifungal activity of Verbena officinalis L. leaves. Casanova E, García-Mina JM, Calvo MI. Abstract
The scavenging activity against DPPH (1,1-diphenil-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical
and the antifungal effect against chloroform, ethyl acetate and 50% methanolic
extracts of Verbena officinalis leaves were investigated. The activity of different
fractions of 50% methanolic extract and some isolated compounds were also investigated.
The results suggest that 50% methanolic extract and caffeoyl derivatives could
potentially be considered as excellent and readily available sources of natural
antifungal and antioxidant compounds.
PMID: 18498054 DOI: 10.1007/s11130-008-0073-0 Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2008
Sep;63(3):93-7. doi: 10.1007/s11130-008-0073-0. Epub 2008 May 23. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Study on In-Vivo Anti-Tumor Activity of Verbena Officinalis Extract
Wei-Zheng Kou, Jun Yang, Qing-Hui Yang, Ying Wang, Zhi-Fen Wang, Su-Ling Xu,
and Jing Liu- corresponding author Abstract
We investigated the anti-tumor effects of Verbena officinalis extract on H22
tumor-bearing mice and its effect on immune function. Mice model of H22 solid
tumor was established, the mice were divided into five groups and administered
the extract, later, tumors were removed and inhibition rates were calculated;
spleens were removed and spleen indices were calculated, and the sheep red blood
cell-delayed-type hypersensitivity (SRBC-DTH) and the serum hemolysin level
were determined. The Verbena officinalis extract had anti-tumor effect, with
the inhibition rate reaching 38.78%, it also increased the spleen index to a
certain extent, in addition, the changes in DTA and HA were not obvious compared
with the model group. The Verbena officinalis extract had in vivo anti-tumor
effect, while causing no damage on the immune function.
Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. 2013; 10(3): 512–517. Published online
2013 Apr 12. PMCID: PMC3777594 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Verbena
officinalis.
Vervain,
Wizard's herb Family: Verbenaceae
Research.