Publications

the use of herbal medicine in alzheimer's disease-a systematic review.	the treatments of choice in alzheimer's disease (ad) are cholinesterase inhibitors and nmda-receptor antagonists, although doubts remain about the therapeutic effectiveness of these drugs. herbal medicine products have been used in the treatment of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (bpsd) but with various responses. the objective of this article was to review evidences from controlled studies in order to determine whether herbs can be useful in the treatment of cognitive disorder ...	2006	17173107
the efficacy of an herbal medicine, carmint, on the relief of abdominal pain and bloating in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: a pilot study.	carmint contains total extracts of melissa officinalis, mentha spicata, and coriandrum sativum, which have antispasmodic, carminative, and sedative effects. as abdominal pain/discomfort and bloating are commonly observed in patients with irritable bowel syndrome, we decided to evaluate the effectiveness of carmint in relieving these symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome patients. we randomly assigned 32 irritable bowel syndrome patients to receive either carmint or placebo, plus loperamide or psy ...	2006	16868824
a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of a standardized extract of matricariae recutita, foeniculum vulgare and melissa officinalis (colimil) in the treatment of breastfed colicky infants.	the aim of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was to investigate the effectiveness and side effects of a phytotherapeutic agent with matricariae recutita, foeniculum vulgare and melissa officinalis in the treatment of infantile colic.	2005	16041731
polyphenols and antioxidant capacity of bulgarian medicinal plants.	extracts of 21 plants used in bulgarian phytotherapy for the treatment of respiratory, gastrointestinal and other inflammatory disorders were screened in vitro for antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds content. plant extracts were prepared as herbal teas following the ethnic use. the water-phase teac (trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity) of the teas were compared to that of the famous tea-like beverages mate, rooibos and honeybush, and to that of green and black tea, well known for thei ...	2005	15588663
insecticidal activity of some essential oils against larvae of spodoptera littoralis.	thirty-four essential oils were tested for insecticidal activity (fumigation or topical application) against larvae spodoptera littoralis. twenty essential oils applied by fumigation were highly toxic to the third instar of s. littoralis larvae. two essential oils nepeta cataria and thuja occidentalis were highly toxic, with lc50< or =10.0 ml/m3. five essential oils salvia sclarea, thymus mastichina, origanum majorana, pogostemon cablin and mentha pulegium were toxic with lc50 between 10.1 and 2 ...	2005	16236461
neurobehavioral and genotoxic aspects of rosmarinic acid.	rosmarinic acid is a naturally occurring hydroxylated compound. it is present in many plants, for example, it occurs in artemisia capillaris, calendulla officinalis, melissa officinalis, salvia officinalis and in other several plant families. it also shows a number of interesting biological activities, e.g. antiviral, antibacterial, antiinflammatory and antioxidant. the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the i.p. administration of rosmarinic acid (1, 2, 4 or 8 mg kg(-1)) o ...	2005	16026713
citral is a new inducer of caspase-3 in tumor cell lines.	citral, 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-al, a key component of the lemon-scented essential oils extracted from several herbal plants such as lemon grass (cymbopogon citratus), melissa (melissa officinalis), verbena (verbena officinalis) is used as a food additive and as a fragrance in cosmetics. in this study, we investigated the anti-cancer potential of citral and its mode of action. concentrations of 44.5 mum, comparable to the concentration of citral in a cup of tea prepared from 1 g of lemon gra ...	2005	15931590
protective role of melissa officinalis l. extract on liver of hyperlipidemic rats: a morphological and biochemical study.	in this study, the effects of melissa officinalis l. extract on hyperlipidemic rats were investigated, morphologically and biochemically. the animals were fed a lipogenic diet consisting of 2% cholesterol, 20% sunflower oil and 0.5% cholic acid added to normal chow and were given 3% ethanol for 42 days. the plant extract was given by gavage technique to rats to a dose of 2 g/kg every day for 28, 14 days after experimental animals done hyperlipidemia. the degenerative changes were observed in hyp ...	2005	15946812
bacterial colonization of the phyllosphere of mediterranean perennial species as influenced by leaf structural and chemical features.	in this study, we assessed various leaf structural and chemical features as possible predictors of the size of the phyllosphere bacterial population in the mediterranean environment. we examined eight perennial species, naturally occurring and coexisting in the same area, in halkidiki (northern greece). they are arbutus unedo, quercus coccifera, pistacia lentiscus, and myrtus communis (evergreen sclerophyllous species), lavandula stoechas and cistus incanus (drought semi-deciduous species), and ...	2005	16215646
in vitro susceptibility of helicobacter pylori to botanical extracts used traditionally for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders.	the gram-negative bacterium helicobacter pylori (hp), identified in 1982, is now recognized as the primary etiological factor associated with the development of gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. in addition, hp infections are also associated with chronic gastritis, gastric carcinoma and primary gastric b-cell lymphoma. for centuries, herbals have been used in traditional medicine to treat a wide range of ailments, including gastrointestinal (gi) disorders such as dyspepsia, gastritis and pepti ...	2005	16317658
traditional medicine in sakarya province (turkey) and antimicrobial activities of selected species.	traditional medicine in north-west of turkey (sakarya province) were studied during a 2 months field study by interviewing local informants from several villages. plant species used to treat infections were tested for antimicrobial activity. information was collected for 46 plant species from 30 families and for 5 animal species. twenty four of the plant species were cultivated. most used families were asteraceae, cucurbitaceae, lamiaceae and rosaceae and the most used plants were artemisia absi ...	2004	15507351
antiviral activity of the volatile oils of melissa officinalis l. against herpes simplex virus type-2.	melissa officinalis l. (lamiaceae) has been used in a variety of practical applications in medical science. our objective in the current study was to determine the effects of the volatile oil components of m. officinalis on herpes simplex virus type 2 (hsv-2) replication in hep-2 cells. four different concentrations (25, 50, 100, 150 and 200 microg/ml) of volatile oils were examined. experiments were carried out using hep-2 cells. m. officinalis volatile oil was found to be non-toxic to hep-2 ce ...	2004	15636181
screening of traditionally used lebanese herbs for neurological activities.	in the recent decades the use of traditional medicine in lebanon has increased. aqueous, ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts of seven lebanese plants that are used traditionally for neurological disorders as alzheimer's disease, epilepsy and affective disorders as depression were tested for inhibition of acetylcholinesterase and affinity to the gaba(a)-benzodiazepine site and to the serotonin transporter. ethyl acetate extracts of salvia triloba, lavandula officinalis, origanum syriacum and artem ...	2004	15652288
lippia alba, melissa officinalis and cymbopogon citratus: effects of the aqueous extracts on the isolated hearts of rats.	1. this research was developed to evaluate the actions of the aqueous extracts of leaves of lippia alba, melissa officinalis and cymbopogon citratus upon contractile force (cf) and cardiac rate (cr). 2. for the experiments in isolated heart, 21 male adult rats were used. the hearts were perfused according to langendorff's method. the records of cf and cr were obtained in control and after application of the extracts. the extracts were utilized in doses: 0.038, 0.38, 3.8 and 38 mg. results obtain ...	2004	15458767
melissa officinalis l. essential oil: antitumoral and antioxidant activities.	melissa officinalis l (lemon balm) is a traditional herbal medicine used widely as a mild sedative, spasmolytic and antibacterial agent. this paper focuses on the analysis of the chemical composition and the biological activities of m. officinalis essential oil obtained under controlled harvesting and drying conditions. an in-vitro cytotoxicity assay using mtt indicated that this oil was very effective against a series of human cancer cell lines (a549, mcf-7, caco-2, hl-60, k562) and a mouse cel ...	2004	15142347
antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of melissa officinalis l. (lamiaceae) essential oil.	the present study describes antimicrobial and free radical scavenging capacity (rsc) together with the effects on lipid peroxidation (lp) of melissa officinalis essential oil. the chemical profile of essential oil was evaluated by the means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (gc-ms) and thin-layer chromatography (tlc). rsc was assessed measuring the scavenging activity of essential oil on the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (dpph()) and oh() radicals. the effect on lp was evaluated followin ...	2004	15113145
modulation of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of single doses of melissa officinalis (lemon balm) with human cns nicotinic and muscarinic receptor-binding properties.	melissa officinalis (lemon balm) is a herbal medicine that has traditionally been attributed with memory-enhancing properties, but which is currently more widely used as a mild sedative and sleep aid. in a previous study it was demonstrated that a commercial melissa extract led to dose-specific increases in calmness, and dose-dependent decrements in timed memory task performance. however, the extract utilized in that study did not exhibit in vitro cholinergic receptor-binding properties. the cur ...	2003	12888775
activity of essential oils from mediterranean lamiaceae species against food spoilage yeasts.	the essential oils from aerial parts of melissa officinalis, lavandula angustifolia, salvia officinalis, and mentha piperita were analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. their antimicrobial activities were evaluated against five food spoilage yeasts, torulaspora delbrueckii, zygosaccharomyces bailii, pichia membranifaciens, dekkera anomala, and yarrowia lipolytica. saccharomyces cerevisiae was also used as a reference. the oils were preliminarily screened by a di ...	2003	12696686
antibacterial activity of medicinal plant extracts against periodontopathic bacteria.	this study was performed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of althaea officinalis l. roots, arnica montana l. flowers, calendula officinalis l. flowers, hamamelis virginiana l. leaves, illicium verum hook. fruits and melissa officinalis l. leaves, against anaerobic and facultative aerobic periodontal bacteria: porphyromonas gingivalis, prevotella spp., fusobacterium nucleatum, capnocytophaga gingivalis, veilonella parvula, eikenella corrodens, peptostreptococcus micros and actinomyces odont ...	2003	12820224
relaxant effect of essential oil of melissa officinalis and citral on rat ileum contractions.	the relaxant effect of the essential oil of melissa officinalis and its main component, citral, on rat isolated ileum contractions was evaluated. m. officinalis essential oil (moeo) inhibited the response to kcl (80 mm), ach (320 nm) and 5-ht (1.28 microm) in a concentration-dependent manner with a ic(50) of approximately 20 ng/ml. citral also had a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect on contraction of rat ileum with ic(50)s comparable to that of moeo.	2003	12837359
in vitro assay of thyroid disruptors affecting tsh-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity.	several natural or synthetic chemicals have been indicated as potential thyroid disruptors. the development of in vitro assays has been recommended to comprehensively assess the potential thyroid disrupting activity of a substance or a complex mixture. in this study, 12 substances suspected for acting as thyroid disruptors were tested for their ability to inhibit tsh-stimulated camp production in vitro. those substances producing an inhibition were further studied to establish the level at which ...	2003	14759065
modulation of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of melissa officinalis (lemon balm).	melissa officinalis (lemon balm) is a traditional herbal medicine, which enjoys contemporary usage as a mild sedative, spasmolytic and antibacterial agent. it has been suggested, in light of in vitro cholinergic binding properties, that melissa extracts may effectively ameliorate the cognitive deficits associated with alzheimer's disease. to date, no study has investigated the effects on cognition and mood of administration of melissa to healthy humans. the present randomised, placebo-controlled ...	2002	12062586
antiulcerogenic effect of some gastrointestinally acting plant extracts and their combination.	extracts from the plants iberis amara, melissa officinalis, matricaria recutita, carum carvi, mentha x piperita, glycyrrhiza glabra, angelica archangelica, silybum marianum and chelidonium majus, singly and combined in the form of a commercial preparation, stw 5 (iberogast) and a modified formulation, stw 5-ii, lacking the last 3 constituents, were tested for their potential anti-ulcerogenic activity against indometacin induced gastric ulcers of the rat as well as for their antisecretory and cyt ...	2001	11505785
cns acetylcholine receptor activity in european medicinal plants traditionally used to improve failing memory.	certain lamiaceous and asteraceous plants have long histories of use as restoratives of lost or declining cognitive functions in western european systems of traditional medicine. investigations were carried out to evaluate human cns cholinergic receptor binding activity in extracts of those european medicinal plants reputed to enhance or restore mental functions including memory. ethanolic extracts were prepared from accessions of these plants and a number of other species related by genus. amon ...	2000	10687867
in vitro effect of essential oils and isolated mono- and sesquiterpenes on leishmania major and trypanosoma brucei.	the effect of different essential oils as well as of isolated mono- and sesquiterpenes on the viability of bloodstream forms of trypanosoma brucei, promastigotes of leishmania major and human hl-60 cells was evaluated using the almar blue assay. of the 12 essential oils and 8 terpenes investigated, only three essential oils, melissa officinalis (balmmint) oil, thymus vulgaris (thyme) oil, and melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil were about 50-fold and 80-fold more toxic to bloodstream forms of ...	2000	10865458
protective effects of the aerial parts of salvia officinalis, melissa officinalis and lavandula angustifolia and their constituents against enzyme-dependent and enzyme-independent lipid peroxidation.	the antioxidant effects of aqueous methanolic extracts from three medicinal lamiaceae species were investigated in enzyme-dependent and enzyme-independent lipid peroxidation systems. all these extracts caused a considerable concentration-dependent inhibition of lipid peroxidation. phenolic components present in the plant extracts were evaluated for antioxidant activity and were found effective in both tests. their concentrations in each extract were determined by tlc-densitometry.	1999	10532875
medicinal plants and alzheimer's disease: from ethnobotany to phytotherapy.	the use of complementary medicines, such as plant extracts, in dementia therapy varies according to the different cultural traditions. in orthodox western medicine, contrasting with that in china and the far east for example, pharmacological properties of traditional cognitive- or memory-enhancing plants have not been widely investigated in the context of current models of alzheimer's disease. an exception is gingko biloba in which the gingkolides have antioxidant, neuroprotective and cholinergi ...	1999	10411211
anti-hiv-1 activity of herbs in labiatae.	the anti-hiv-1 activity of aromatic herbs in labiatae was evaluated in vitro. forty five extract from among 51 samples obtained from 46 herb species showed significant inhibitory effects against hiv-1 induced cytopathogenicity in mt-4 cells. in particular, the aqueous extracts of melissa officinalis, a family of mentha x piperita "grapefruit mint," mentha x piperita var. crispa, ocimum basilicum cv "cinnamon," perilla frutescens var. crispa f. viridis, prunella vulgaris subsp. asiatica and satur ...	1998	9743251
medicinal plants and alzheimer's disease: integrating ethnobotanical and contemporary scientific evidence.	the use of complementary medicines such as plant extracts in dementia therapy, varies according to the different cultural traditions. in orthodox western medicine, contrasting with that in china and the far east for example, pharmacological properties of traditional cognitive or memory enhancing plants have not been widely investigated in the context of current models of alzheimer's disease. an exception is ginkgo biloba in which the ginkgolides have antioxidant, neuroprotective, and cholinergic ...	1998	9884179
screening of medicinal plants for induction of somatic segregation activity in aspergillus nidulans.	knowledge about mutagenic properties of plants commonly used in traditional medicine is limited. a screening for genotoxic activity was carried out in aqueous or alcoholic extracts prepared from 13 medicinal plants widely used as folk medicine in cuba: lepidium virginicum l. (brassicaceae): plantago major l. and plantago lanceolata l. (plantaginaceae); ortosiphon aristatus blume, mentha x piperita l., melissa officinalis l. and plectranthus amboinicus (lour.) spreng. (lamiaceae); cymbopogon citr ...	1996	8771452
antimicrobial activity of essences from labiates.	bacteria, filamentous fungi and yeasts were subjected to the action of lavandula officinalis, melissa officinalis and rosmarinus officinalis essences in a steam phase, using a microatmospheric technique. due to the methodology employed, l. officinalis essence was more active in filamentous fungi than the other essential oils studied. all three essences possessed a similar degree of activity against the micro-organisms tested, though a relatively higher activity was seen in the case of m. officin ...	1995	7630324
antiherpes effect of melissa officinalis l. extracts.	studies were carried out on the virucidal and antiviral effects of melissa officinalis l. extracts (m1, m3, m3 and m4) with respect to herpes simplex virus type 1 (hsv-1). virucidal effect was registered within 3 and 6 hours of treatment using m4 administered in mtc. the remaining extracts inactivate the virus at the 12th and 24th hour. no significant values of inhibiting activity of m1, m2, and m3 on the same virus in vitro or in vivo were demonstrated. the presence of caffeic, rosmarinic and f ...	1993	8390134
the inhibitory effect of rosmarinic acid on complement involves the c5 convertase.	rosmarinic acid (ra), a naturally occurring extract from melissa officinalis, inhibits several complement-dependent inflammatory processes and may have potential as a therapeutic agent for the control of complement activation in disease. rosmarinic acid has been reported to have effects on both the classical pathway c3-convertase and on the cobra venom factor-induced, alternative pathway convertase. in order to define the mechanism of inhibition, the effect of ra on classical and alternative pat ...	1991	1761351
neurotropic action of the hydroalcoholic extract of melissa officinalis in the mouse.	a lyophilised hydroalcoholic extract of melissa officinalis l. (lamiaceae) has been evaluated for behavioral effects in mice. according to the traditional use of m. officinalis, sedative properties have been confirmed for low doses by the decrease of behavioral parameters measured in a non-familiar environment test (staircase test) and in a familiar environment test (two compartment test). with high doses, a peripheral analgesic activity was obtained by reducing the acetic acid-induced pain (wri ...	1991	1891490
rosmarinic acid: a new inhibitor of complement c3-convertase with anti-inflammatory activity.	rosmarinic acid (ra) is a naturally occurring compound, isolated from rosmarinus officinalis or melissa officinalis which inhibits the in vitro immunohaemolysis of antibody-coated sheep erythrocytes by guinea pig serum. in further experiments this reduced immunohaemolysis was found to be due to inhibition of the c3-convertase of the classical complement pathway. the threshold concentration for inhibition of c3-convertase was 10(-6) mol/l. ra with an optimal inhibitory concentration between 5 and ...	1988	3198307
the components of melissa officinalis l. that influence protein biosynthesis in-vitro.	an investigation of an inhibiting activity of a substance(s) in a tanninless extract from melissa officinalis leaves on protein biosynthesis in-vitro has been made. at least two components which inhibited protein biosynthesis were present in the extract; these were caffeic acid and an unidentified glycoside. freshly prepared buffered solutions of caffeic acid inhibited protein biosynthesis less than solutions stored for several days at room temperature (20 degrees c). in this case derivatives of ...	1986	2879007
[comparative studies of the sensitizing capacity of drugs used in herpes simplex].	experimental sensitization of guinea pigs with 9 commonly used or still tested antiviral drugs revealed a very low sensitizing power for these when compared with tromantadine. in a former investigation tromantadine had been shown to be a moderate sensitizer. while ethoxyuridine, bromovinyl deoxyuridine and phosphono formiate gave no response in the animals, aciclovir, vidarabine, idoxuridine, trifluorothymidine, proclu and an extract of lemon balm (melissa officinalis) only induced weak reaction ...	1986	2949957
extracts and auto-oxidized constituents of certain plants inhibit the receptor-binding and the biological activity of graves' immunoglobulins.	freeze-dried extracts (fde) of the plants lycopus virginicus, lycopus europaeus, melissa officinalis, and lithospermum officinale, as well as products of the oxidation of certain of their constituents, have been shown to exert antithyrotropic activity by virtue of their ability to form adducts with tsh that bind weakly, if at all, to the tsh receptor. the thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin g (igg) found in the blood of patients with graves' disease (graves'-igg) resemble tsh in their ability to ...	1985	2985357
studies on substances of plant origin with anticipated cyto- and oncostatic activity. part 1: the influence of water extracts from melissa officinalis on the protein biosynthesis in vitro.		1984	6531382
antihormonal effects of plant extracts: iodothyronine deiodinase of rat liver is inhibited by extracts and secondary metabolites of plants.	aqueous extracts from plants such as lycopus virginicus , melissa officinalis ( laminaceae ), and lithospermum officinale ( boraginaceae ), containing various antihormonal components, also inhibit both the extrathyroidal enzymic t4-5'-deiodination to t3 and the t4-5'-deiodination. the effects were dose dependent and ultimately complete using rat liver microsomes as a source of the enzyme in vitro. the "specific inhibitory activity" of extracts depends on the plant species used and the extraction ...	1984	6724503
inhibition by certain plant extracts of the binding and adenylate cyclase stimulatory effect of bovine thyrotropin in human thyroid membranes.	the present studies were undertaken to explore the mechanism by which, as previous studies have shown, freeze-dried aqueous extracts (fde) of plants of the species lycopus virginicus and lycopus europaeus, melissa officinalis (laminaceae), and lithospermum officinale (boraginaceae) have the ability to inhibit at least many of the effects of exogenous and endogenous tsh on the thyroid gland. to this end, we have examined the in vitro effects of fde from these plants on the ability of bovine tsh ( ...	1984	6745167
antiviral substances in plants of the mint family (labiatae). i. tannin of melissa officinalis.		1967	4290277
antiviral substances in plants of the mint family (labiatae). ii. nontannin polyphenol of melissa officinalis.		1967	4290452
antiviral activity of melissa officinalis (lemon balm) extract.		1964	14233461