Lemon Balm
Scientific Name(s): Melissa officinalis L.
Common Name(s): Balm, Lemon balm, Melissa, Sweet balm
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Jul 19, 2021.
Clinical Overview
Use
Primary interest in lemon balm surrounds its effects on the central nervous system. One small study demonstrated decreased stress and agitation in patients with dementia and Alzheimer disease. Another small trial supports a potential cholesterol benefit. Lemon balm cream has shown some efficacy in herpes virus lesions in a few small placebo-controlled trials.
Dosing
Crude lemon balm herb is typically dosed at 1.5 to 4.5 g/day. Doses of 600 to 1,600 mg extract have been studied in trials. A standardized preparation of lemon balm (80 mg) and valerian extract (160 mg) has been given 2 or 3 times/day as a sleep aid, and has also been studied in children. A 1% extract cream has been studied as a topical agent for treatment of herpes virus lesions.
Contraindications
Contraindications have not yet been identified.
Pregnancy/Lactation
Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.
Interactions
None well documented.
Adverse Reactions
Clinical trials generally report no adverse reactions.
Toxicology
Research reveals little or no information regarding toxicology with the use of this product.
Scientific Family
- Lamiaceae (mint)
Botany
Lemon balm is a low-growing perennial herb with ovate- or heart-shaped leaves that emit a lemon odor when bruised. The small yellow or white flowers are attractive to bees and other insects. It is indigenous to the Mediterranean region and western Asia, and widely naturalized in Europe, Asia, and North America. The leaves are harvested before flowering and used medicinally.1
History
Lemon balm has been used in herbal medicine since the times of Pliny (Roman, AD 23-79), Dioscorides (Greek, AD 40-90), Paracelsus (Austrian 1493-1541), and John Gerard (English, 1545-1612). The name Melissa corresponds to the Greek word for bee, while balm is a contraction of balsam. The plant has culinary and medicinal uses, with principal historical medicinal uses being carminative, diaphoretic, and antipyretic.2
Chemistry
Lemon balm leaves contain 0.2% to 0.3% of a lemon-scented essential oil similar to that of lemon grass. Major mono- and sesquiterpenes include geranial, neral, beta-caryophyllene, beta-caryophyllene oxide, linalool, citronellal, nerol, and geraniol.3, 4, 5 R(+)-methyl citronellate is characteristic of Melissa oil and distinguishes it from lemon grass oil.6, 7 Flavonoids, oleanane, and triterpenes have also been isolated from the plant.4, 8 Major nonvolatile constituents are caffeic acid and its di- and trimeric derivatives, including rosmarinic acid and melitric acids A and B.7, 9, 10
Uses and Pharmacology
Anti-inflammatory
Rosmarinic acid was found to inhibit the C3 and C5 convertase steps in the complement cascade.27, 28, 29 This action may play a role in the anti-inflammatory action of Melissa extract, because the action was observed in vitro and in vivo in rats with oral administration of the compound.
