Truth about Verbena / common vervain, science confirms

verbena

The scientific name of the common vervain or verbena is Verbena officinalis L.

Scientific names Common names
Verbena officinalis L. Verbena (Engl., Tag,)
Verbena halei Small Common vervain (Engl.)
Verbena officinalis var. halei (Small) Herb of the cross (Engl.)
Ma-pien ts’ao (Chin.)

Verbena is a more or less hairy herb, growing up to 90 centimeters in height, erect, but decumbent at the base. Leaves are 5 to 10 centimeters long, variously lobed and narrowed to the base; the lower ones are stalked, pinnatifid or coarsely toothed, more or less hairy, and usually hoary on the nerves beneath; this upper ones are without stalks and 3-lobed. Flowers are small, 4 to 6 millimeters long, without stalks and borne on dense, bracteate heads which elongate as the fruit ripens. The calyx is twice as long as the bracts and half as long as the corolla tube, minutely 5-toothed, and glandular- hairy. The corolla is blue or lilac, and hairy, with spreading limb; the lobes are subquadrate, with a hairy throat. Fruit is dry, ultimately spreading into four 1-seeded nutlets which are oblong and dorsally smooth, their under faces covered with minute, white flaking cells.

Distribution
– A weed in waste places in and about towns, at low and medium altitudes.

– Introduced, cosmopolitan in subtemperate and subtropical regions.

Properties

– Bitter tasting, refrigerant.

– Eases out lymphatic circulation.

– Considered analgesic, antibacterial, anticoagulant, anticontusive, antifebrile, antispasmodic, antitumor, astringent, depurative, diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, galatagogue, stimulant, tonic.

Constituents

• Contains verbenalin, transferase, amygdalase, and tannin

• Study yielded four compounds: apigenin, 4′-hydroxywogonin, verbenalin and hastatoside.

• Study of methanol extract of aerial parts yielded 3,4-dihydroverbenalin and daucosterol.

Parts utilized

Entire plant.

Uses
Edibility

– Leaves are parboiled, seasoned, eaten.

– Leaves used as tea substitute.

– Flowers: as garnish.

Folkloric medicinal uses

· Used for amenorrhea, difficult menstruation.

· Used for high fever during influenza, malaria, hepatitis, hepatic sclerosis, nephritis, edema, urinary tract infection, urinary tract lithiasis, sprains, eczema, dermatitis.

· Infusion of plant given against colic, ophthalmic, ulcers of the mouth.

· Plant used as cephalic, vulnerary, aperative, purgatie, and a cure for pleurisy.

· Fresh leaves used as febrifuge and tonic, and as rubefacient in rheumatism, and diseases of the joint.

· Decoction of dried material used as wash for eczema and dermatitis.

· Poultice of pounded fresh material for sprains and contusions.

· Used for headaches, fever, insufficient lactation.

· Used to assist contractions during labor.

· Root used for dysentery.

· Mohammedan physicians considered it tonic, astringent, and useful for paralysis and amenorrhea, and used a plaster of the leaves to promote wound healing.

· Ointment used for swelling of the womb.

· In Indo-China, plant is used for nervous complaints and as deobstruent for dropsy.

· Root used as a remedy for scrofula and snake bites.

· In Tuscany, reported to be used as a poultice for liver complaints; taken internally for the same complaints and for leprosy.

· In China, stalk and leaves believe to act on the blood – relieving congestion, obstructions, dropsical effusions, hematoceles. Also used as emmenagogue, anthelmintic, antiscorbutic, and antimalarial.

· Root considered astringent and used in dysentery.

· Plant used as vulnerary, detersive, aperative, and febrifuge.

· Oil considered siccative.

Scientific studies about Verbena or common vervain

Anti-Inflammatory:

Study isolated ß-sitosterol, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, 3-epiursolic acid, 3-epioleanolic acid and showed the ether, chlorofom and methanol extracts of VO to have antiinflammatory activity

Neuroprotective:

Study of aqueous extracts of V officinialis showed novel neuroprotective effects supporting its folkloric use and a potential as a neuroprotective agent against neuronal loss in Alzheimer’s Disease.

Gastroprotective / Antioxidant / Antiinflammatory:

Study showed extracts to exhibit antiinflammatory activity and reduction of gastric damage. It also showed improved wound healing suggesting the presence of some lipophilic active principle.

Volatile Constituents:

Study of of aerial parts of VO yielded volatile constituents: 3-hexen-1-ol, 1-octen-3-ol, linalool, verbenone and geranial.

Antioxidant / Antifungal:

Study of 50% methanolic extract and caffeoyl derivatives showed excellent and readily available sources of antifungal and antioxidant compounds.

Antibacterial:

In a microbiological assay, V. officinalis showed activity against E. coli, S. epidermis, S. aureus, B. subtilis.

Contragestational:

Study evaluated the mechanism of contragestational effect of an alcohol extract of V. officinalis. Data showed VO at certain concentrations directly damaged trophoblast cells and inhibited HCG secretion, providing theoretical evidence for the clinical contragestational application of VO.

Availability

Wild-crafted.

Extracts and teas in the cybermarket.

Read about other interesting fruits

Acai berry        Ambarella         Avocado           Bael       Banana      Bilberry      Cocunut   

 Cantaloupe        Cashew apple      Dragon Fruit    Durian      Fig      Jack fruit   Jamun      

 Kiwi        Lychee      Malay apple     Mango        Mangosteen       Miracle fruit         Pomelo  

 Papaya     Passion fruit     Phalsa      Pineapple           Plum       Pomegranate       

Prickly pear      Quince       Rambutan           Roselle          Santol          Sapota       

Sea buckthorn       Sour Orange     Soursop           Sweet Lime         Star gooseberry 

Star Apple        Strawberry     Surinam Cherry          Sweet lime        Tamarind       Tomato 

Tree tomato      Wampi       Watermelon         Wood apple

Read about herbs and spices

Allspice          Alfalfa       Ashwagandha        Bay leaf              Black cohosh           

Black onion seeds       Black pepper       Cayenne pepper    Celery          Chives       

 Chamomile        Clove     Coffee senna    Coriander       Curry leaf         Cumin        

Eucalyptus       Fennel            Fenugreek       Garlic      Ginger         Gotu Kola       

Hibiscus         Holy basil    Jasmine     Kava Kava     Lavender     Licorice   

Long pepper    Lotus   Majoram      Marigold     Mugwort     Mustard seeds      

 Neem    Nutmeg       Oregano     Peppermint     Red  clover        Rose       Rosemary           

Sage         Sensitive plant   St.John’s wort        Tarragon        Thyme     Triphala powder        

Turmeric     Vetiver grass    Wheat grass      Wild amarnath