Melissa Extract

Introduction of Melissa Extract:

Melissa officinalis, also known as fragrant seam grass, lemongrass, lemon perfume mint, Melissa officinalis perennial herb. About 3mm, the lower diameter is about 1.5mm. The surface is yellowish-white or greenish-white, and the color becomes darker after storage, densely pubescent. Occasionally fronds. Calyx green, apex 5-lobed, lobes hairy, about 2mm long. Opener corolla cylindrical, apex two-lipped; 5 stamens, attached to the tube wall, yellow; 1 pistil, ovary glabrous. Fragrant gas, light taste.

Plant source: the whole herb of Melissa officinalis, a perennial herb belonging to the family Melissa officinalis. Common names: Nosebleed Grass, Nepeta yunnanensis, Schizonepeta, Schizonepeta, Mint, and Small Square Grass. [2] Melissa officinalis (Melissa officinalis) is also called fennel grass, lemongrass, named lemon perfume mint, Melissa officinalis is a perennial herb classified in the family Lamiaceae. It is rod-shaped, thick at the top and thin at the bottom, slightly curved, 2-3cm long, and the upper part is in diameter About 3mm, the lower diameter is about 1.5mm. The surface is yellowish white or greenish white, the color gradually darkens after a long time storage, densely covered with pubescence. Occasional leafy bracts. Calyx green, apex 5-lobed, lobes hairy, about 2mm long. Open corolla tube-shaped, apex 2-lipped; stamens 5, attached to tube wall, yellow; pistil 1, ovary glabrous. Gas fragrance, light taste.
Perennial herb, with rhizomes, suberect or erect aboveground stems, branched, with 4 ribs and 4 shallow grooves, 0.6-1 m high, pubescent. Leaves are oval, 1.2-6 cm long, 0.9-3 cm wide, apex acute or shortly acuminate, base round, obtuse, nearly heart-shaped or acute, margins serrated crenate, herbaceous, leaves Green, sparsely pubescent, light green on the back, purple or sometimes all purple on both sides of the midrib, nearly glabrous or only pubescent along the veins; petiole is slender.

Specification of Melissa Extract

Benefits of Melissa Extract:

“Drug Encyclopedia” records that it has “the effects of refreshing the brain, nourishing the heart, invigorating the stomach and helping digestion”, and it has been cultivated as a medicinal plant for 2,000 years. Lemon balm essential oil is called “the chief of oils” in Hebrew. Lemon balm is used for many purposes. In case of insect bites or wounds, fresh leaves of lemon balm can be directly pasted on the affected area to relieve swelling and pain; dried leaves can be made into medicinal pillows to help sleep.

Lemon balm extract can be used as a mild sedative or sedative for anti-anxiety, and has the function of improving mental mood. More and more studies have shown that it can effectively relieve stress.

As one of the active ingredients of lemon balm, rosmarinic acid has been proved by experiments to inhibit GABA transaminase and inhibit the degradation of GABA, thereby increasing the concentration of GABA in the brain, calming down and resisting anxiety. In addition, the other two main components of lemon balm: caffeic acid and citral have been proved by experiments to have anti-anxiety effects.

1. Calming and soothing, resisting anxiety:

Lemon balm extract can be used as a mild sedative or sedative for anti-anxiety, has the function of improving mental mood, and studies have shown that it can effectively relieve stress. Under appropriate stress, its ethanol extract has anxiolytic effects on rats through chronic administration, and studies have found that lemon balm extract is a potent inhibitor of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transaminase. GABA is an important neurotransmitter that mediates inhibitory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system, and is an important target for the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders and the development of new anti-anxiety drugs. Rosmarinic acid (RA) can inhibit GABA aminotransferase and inhibit the degradation of GABA, thereby increasing the concentration of GABA in the brain, calming and soothing, and resisting anxiety.

2. Improve cognition:

Lemon balm extract also has the function of improving psycho-emotional and cognitive abilities. It is currently believed that these mechanisms are related to muscarinic receptors and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Lemon balm extract has acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity, and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors can inhibit the cholinesterase activity in the synaptic cleft, reduce the decomposition of acetylcholine, thereby increasing the activity of acetylcholine to achieve neuroprotection; lemon balm The extract is also protective against methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-induced apoptosis of hippocampal primary neuronal cells, possibly due to its free radical scavenging properties and inhibition of monoamine oxidase (MAO) However, it can be used as a neuroprotectant to prevent central nervous system diseases, showing its potential use in the prevention of neurodegenerative neurological diseases.

3. Antibacterial:

The antibacterial properties of lemon balm have also been proved, and the ethanol fraction of lemon balm has very obvious antibacterial and antiseptic effects, and has synergistic antibacterial effects with sodium nitrite, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate. Other components in the extract such as rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid and flavonoids Chemicalbook, etc. are known to have antibacterial activity against the following bacteria: Bacillus subtilis, Bifidobacterium, Corynebacterium, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella bacteria, acidophilus, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enteritidis, Shigella bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, etc. are resistant, fungi such as white Candida, Aspergillus niger and Alternaria are resistant.

4. Anti-virus:

At the same time, many studies have shown that lemon balm essential oil has antiviral properties, especially for type 1 and type 2 herpes simplex virus (HSV1, HSV-2), MazzantiG (2008) used virus binding experiments to find that lemon balm extract does not prevent HSV-2 invades host cells, so this mechanism may play after the virus enters the host.

5. Anti-tumor, anti-oxidation:

Lemon balm extract has an inhibitory effect on the proliferation of human colon cancer cells, and its volatile oil has an inhibitory effect on a series of human tumor cell lines (A549, MCF-7, Caco-2, HL-60, K562) and mouse cancer cell lines (B16F10). The resistance is very strong. It can scavenge DPPH free radicals and has extremely high antioxidant activity. Antioxidant activity is related to phenolic compounds such as citronellal and neral, and flavonoids. Lemon balm essential oil can be used as a natural antiseptic fat-soluble antioxidant for oily and fat-rich foods.

6. Lower blood sugar:

Lemon balm essential oil can significantly lower blood sugar levels, play an important role in regulating blood sugar and blood lipids in type 2 diabetic mice, can enhance blood sugar tolerance in type 2 diabetic patients, and at the same time significantly increase serum insulin levels. Lemon balm essential oil can resist hyperglycemia by promoting the activity of GCK in mouse liver cells and inhibiting the activities of G6Pase and PEPCK in cells. Its hypoglycemic effect may be achieved by enhancing the uptake of glucose by the liver and adipose tissue and inhibiting the gluconeogenesis process in the liver.

Efficacy and role of Lemon balm extract in skin care cosmetics

Lemon balm extract is mainly used as an antioxidant in cosmetics and skin care products. The risk factor is 1, which is relatively safe and can be used with confidence. It generally has no effect on pregnant women. Lemon balm extract has no acne-causing properties.

Lemon balm is one of the most famous sources of natural antioxidant plant ingredients. It has health care and medical functions such as anti-oxidation, eliminating free radicals in the human body, and delaying human aging.

The above information is for reference only