Of these multiple varieties, the two most popular ones are cymbopogon citratus and cymbopogon flexuosus. An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world. Lemongrass cymbopogon citratus, a stalky plant with long, thin leaves, is one of the largely cultivated medicinal plants for its essential oils in parts of asia, africa and america. Cymbopogon citratus is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of gastrointestinal disturbances, fevers and hypertension. Medicinal uses of lemongrass cymbopogon citratus lemongrass is an indian plant. The main purpose of this work was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region. Biological activities and medicinal uses of the essential oil of lemongrass cymbopogon flexuosus, c.
In aromatherapy, lemongrass oil is a toning and antiseptic herb and is used to treat circulation, acne and oily skin. Eo meo are very limited though meo from other plants have been extensively studied. A comparative study of lemongrass cymbopogon citratus. Cymbopogon citratus a fast growing, perennial aromatic grass is native to south india and sri lanka, now widely cultivated in the tropical areas of america and asia. Screening in mice of some medicinal plants used for analgesic purposes in the state of sao.
Scientific basis for the therapeutic use of cymbopogon citratus, stapf. Cymbopogon citratus lemon grass, citronella grass pfaf. The cold maceration and agar diffusion technique were employed to assess phytochemical properties and the antimicrobial potency of cymbopogon citratus lemongrass against selected microbial pathogens using hexane, chloroform and methanol as extracting solvents. Lemongrass cymbopogon citratus leaves apart from the herbs aromatic, ornamental and culinary uses, lemongrass also provides a number of therapeutic benefits. Lemongrass wikibooks, open books for an open world. Pdf scientific basis for the therapeutic use of cymbopogon.
Eo have important applications in food and pharmaceutical industries. Another source is the use of cymbopogon citratus in the cosmetic industry, s. Pdf biological activities and medicinal uses of the. Freshly cut and partially dried leaves are used medicinally and are the source of the essential oil. In the changing global scenario, the interest toward plants with medicinal. Phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of cymbopogon. Eo were first extracted by hydrodistillation and characterized by gas chromatographymass spectrometry analysis with the identification. It is a common ingredient in soups, curries, laksa, and tomyam.
Pdf cymbopogon citratus, stapf lemon grass is a widely used herb in tropical. Some species particularly cymbopogon citratus are commonly cultivated as culinary and medicinal herbs because of their scent, resembling that of lemons citrus limon. It is commonly used in the form of tea as a homemade remedy for cough, flu, gingivitis, digestive problems and stomachache avoseh et al. Lemongrass is a perennial grass plant widely distributed worldwide and most especially in tropical and subtropical countries francisco et al. The oil is also used as a fragrance in perfumes and cosmetics. An outstanding coincidence between indigenous medicinal plant uses and scientifically proved pharmacological properties of several phytochemicals has been. The use of medicinal herbs as antiinflammatory, antifungal, and analgesic drugs is common in algeria.
Though both can be used to produce essential oils, the former is largely used for culinary purposes, whereas the latter is more popular. Cymbopogon citratus is an aromatic plant of gramineae family wellknown as lemon grass. Another source is the use of cymbopogon citratus in the cosmetic. West indian lemongrass oil is the essential oil of cymbopogon citratus. Lemon grass use in cooking has become popular in the caribbean and in the united states for its aromatic citrus flavor with a trace of ginger.
Overview lemon grass cymbopogon citratus is an aromatic, flavorful grass. It is recommended that clinical trials should be conducted on these medicinal plant species to determine their efficacy in the treatment of diseases. Cymbopogon citratus is an evergreen perennial growing to 1. Cymbopogon, also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, cochin grass, malabar grass, oily heads or fever grass, is a genus of asian, african, australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Lemon grass cymbopogon citratus essential oil as a. Therapeutic uses, benefits and claims of lemon grass lemon grass is low in calories and has no cholesterol, making it a beneficial flavoring for cooking and teas. The activity of the leaf extract of cymbopogon citratus against the tested microbes suggests its potential for broad spectrum antibiotics. Can add dispersing agent such as dispersa or solubol. Cymbopogon citratus is native to sri lanka and south india, and is now widely cultivated in the tropical areas of america and asia. However, there have been some toxic side effects, such as lung problems after inhaling lemongrass and a fatal poisoning after a child swallowed a lemongrass oilbased insect repellent. The resistance of the organisms increased due to are noted for their uses as medicinal herbs 5. The leaves are bluegreen in color, turning red in the fall and emit a strong lemon fragrance when damaged.
Some species particularly cymbopogon citratus, are commonly cultivated as culinary and medicinal herbs because of their scent, resembling that of lemons citrus limon. Antibacterial, cymbopogon citratus, disease control, medicinal plants, solvents. The grass grows in dense clumps and has several stiff stems and slender bladelike leaves which droop towards the tips. According to folk medicine, several plants possess ethno medicinal benefits and cymbopogon citratus stapf, also known as lemongrass remained one of them.
Lemongrass cymbopogon health benefits and side effects. Aromatic and medicinal plants are still a major part of alternative and traditional medicine in the developing countries. The compounds identified in cymbopogon citratus are mainly terpenes, alcohols, ketones, aldehyde and esters. The most substantial and safest drugs since sundry are medicinal plants and they play remarkable role. Employed as a flavour ingredient in most major food categories including alcoholic and soft drinks. Enhanced antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of. Gas chromatographymass spectrometry gcms analysis revealed the presence of 62 compounds with the major constituents including citronella 26. Lemon grass cymbopogon citratus, a native herb from temperate and warm regions such as india, philippines and malaysia, is widely used in asian cooking and is an ingredient in many thai and vietnamese foods.
Cymbopogon citratus is used in various countries for various purposes, which are. Lemongrass oils have been used as a pesticide or preservative and may have antifungal properties. This showed that the leaves of ceiba petandra are highly medicinal. Cymbopogonol, a new triterpenoid from cymbopogon citratus. Lemongrass, cymbopogon citratus, is a perennial grass in the family poaceae grown for its fragrant leaves and stalks which are used as a flavoring.
Some of the reported phytoconstituents are essential oils that contain citral. Pdf biological activities and medicinal uses of the essential oil of. Phytochemical properties of ceiba petandra kapok tree. Several cymbopogon species, common name, regions, plant part used and the uses. Medicinal uses of lemon grass alcorn state university.
Rendle india citronella oil leaves insect repellent and as perfumes 11 c. In the folk medicine of the kraho people of brazil, it is believed to have anxiolytic, hypnotic, and anticonvulsant properties. It is a tall grass with rhizomes and densely tufted fibrous roots, which tillers profusely and has the potential to escape from. Different growing places provide a difference in essential oil content that will also affect its biological activity. Lemon grass cymbopogon citratus herbal medicine, health. Other species used in the perfume industry are cymbopogon martini distilled into palmarosa oil and citronella grass cymbopogon winterianus jowitt. Scientific basis for the therapeutic use of cymbopogon citratus, stapf lemon grass. A downloadable pdf document of a book in prepublication awaiting illustration. The culms stems of this dense, clumpforming grass have been used in cooking and herbal medicine for centuries. Review on pharmacological activity of cymbopogon citratus. Cymbopogon citratus which showed activity similar to control. It has therapeutic properties and is used internally as a medicinal tea infusion. As the name implies, lemongrass smells like lemon, but it tastes milder and sweeter.
Medicinal plants with fungicide action, antibacterial and antiinflammatory effects are under investigation. Lemongrass leaves and the essential oils extracted from them are utilized to cure grouchy conditions, nervous disorders, colds and weariness. The mean zones of inhibition of the chloroform leaf and corresponding root extracts for the test organisms were staphylococus. Lemongrass is likely safe for most people when used in food amounts. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation from leaves of cymbopogon nardus from lembang west java. The leaves are strongly lemon scented and flavored. Cymbopogon citratus is a perennial grass that has been intentionally introduced in tropical and subtropical regions of the world for the essential oil extracts from its leaves and to be used as a culinary and medicinal herb. Effect of cymbopogon citratus lemongrass and syzygium aromaticum clove oils on the morphology and mortality of aedes aegypti and anopheles dirus larvae. Cymbopogon citratus, commonly known as west indian lemon grass or simply lemon grass, 3 is a tropical plant native to maritime southeast asia and introduced to many tropical regions. The plant is used as a fragrance and flavoring agent and in folk medicine as an antispasmodic, hypotensive, anticonvulsant, analgesic, antiemetic, antitussive, antirheumatic, antiseptic and treatment for nervous and gastrointestinal disorders and fevers. The leaves of cymbopogon citratus have been used in traditional medicine and are often found in herbal supplements and teas.
Phytochemical constituents, therapeutic applications and. Conformer generation is disallowed since too many atoms, too flexible, mixture or salt. However, in light of recently published findings on the phytochemistry and toxicological. Cymbopogon citratus are well exploited, though studies show that other species may also. It stimulates appetite, and digestion but does not increase pitta. Utilization is limited to the stalks lemongrass only, while the leaves are still become waste. Pmc3217679 gbenou jd, ahounou jf, akakpo hb, laleye a, yayi e, gbaguidi f, babamoussa l,darboux r, dansou p, moudachirou m, kotchoni so. Lemongrass cymbopogon citratus essential oil polish journal of. Cytogenotoxicity of cymbopogon citratus dc stapf lemon grass. Recently, unanticipated advancements have been observed in the use of herbs in the primary. The plant is used extensively in ayurvedic medicine.
Cymbopogon citratus, stapf lemon grass is a widely used herb in tropical countries, especially in southeast asia. Cymbopogon nardus is an aromatic, evergreen, clumpforming perennial grass growing up to 2. Lemongrass cymbopogon citratus information, uses and. Species region common name parts medicinal uses references c. The common methods to extract essential oil from medicinal plant, including for lemongrass cymbopogon citratus, are hydrodistillation hd, steam distillation, steam and water distillation, maceration, empyreumatic or destructive distillation and expression 9. Assessment of hot water and ethanolic leaf extracts of. When taken internally, lemon grass has been recommended for. More recently, the aromatic oils of the plant have been extracted and exported for use in perfumes. Cymbopogon citratus wikimili, the free encyclopedia. Cytogenotoxicity of cymbopogon citratus dc stapf lemon. Scientific basis for the therapeutic use of cymbopogon. Lemongrass also called fever grass, is a perennial plant with thin, linear leaves and is indigenous to many asian countries. Numerous herbal therapies are currently widely used in medicine 1, 2.
Extensively used as a fragrance component in soaps, detergents, cosmetics and perfumes. The essential oil from cymbopogon citratus leaves is one. Cymbopogon citratus is a plant commonly used as a spice by the people in indonesia. In traditional medicine of india the leaves of the plant are used as stimulant, sudorific, antiperiodic, and anticatarrhal, while the essential oil is used as carminative, depressant, analgesic, antipyretic, antibacterial, and antifungal agent. Antifungal activity of essential oils from indian medicinal plants against human pathogenic aspergillus fumigatus and a. This herb is used in various asian cuisines to accord a tangy lemonlike flavor to a wide array of meat, poultry, and seafood. Introduction the use of medicinal plants on phytotherapy is a result of empirical knowledge accumulated over the centuries about plant actions in several ethnic groups. Therefore, there are many questions about the standardization tech. It has carminative action, and gives relief in pain due to gas. In traditional medicine of india the leaves of the plant are used as stimulant, sudorific, antiperiodic, and anticatarrhal, while the essential oil is used as carminative. It is possibly safe when taken by mouth or applied to the skin shortterm for medicinal purposes. It is used in the treatment of many digestive diseases such as abdominal pain, cramps colic, vomiting, gas, cholera, indigestion, etc.
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