Curiosities: This essential oil, with its high percentage of citral highlights itself for the soothing and anxiolytic actions. this species is widely used in folk medicine as tea, both for its calming, analgesic and sedative action, as well as for its pleasant flavor and aroma. Analgesic, anti-infectious, insecticidal, anticonvulsant activity has been reported.
White Verbena
Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E.Br. ex Britton & P. Wilson
ANGOLA
CAS No: N/A
EINECS No: N/A
Species: Plant part used: Whole areal part
Origin: Organically cultivated
Processing: Steam-distillation
Main compounds: Citral, Limonene
Chemotype: “Citral” chemotype (I). We can refer to it as a “Citral-Limonene” chemotype
Olfactive experience: Strong and citric
Chromatographic Analysis
VERBENA BLANCA
| Compounds | Relative percentage |
| 2-Methyl butyl acetate | t |
| Tricyclene | t |
| α-Thujene | 0.9 |
| α-Pinene | 0.3 |
| Camphene | 0.5 |
| Sabinene | t |
| 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-one | 3.0 |
| β-Pinene | t |
| β-Myrcene | 0.7 |
| α-Phellandrene | 0.1 |
| Isopentyl isobutyrate | t |
| α-Terpinene | 0.4 |
| p-Cymene | 3.6 |
| 1,8-Cineole | 0.2 |
| Limonene | 16.0 |
| cis-β-Ocimene | t |
| trans-β-Ocimene | 0.6 |
| γ-Terpinene | 7.2 |
| trans-Sabinene hydrate | 0.2 |
| Fenchone | t |
| Terpinolene | 0.2 |
| Linalool | 0.9 |
| Camphor | 17.6 |
| Citronellal | 0.4 |
| Borneol | 0.3 |
| Terpinen-4-ol | 0.2 |
| α-Terpineol | t |
| cis-Piperitol | t |
| Nerol | 0.3 |
| Carvone | 0.1 |
| Neral (= cis-Citral) | 13.0 |
| Geraniol | 0.3 |
| Geranial (= trans-Citral) | 15.6 |
| Eugenol | t |
| Citronellyl acetate | t |
| trans-Methyl cinnamate | 0.3 |
| Geranyl acetate | 0.2 |
| α-Copaene | 0.3 |
| β-Bourbonene | 0.3 |
| α-Cubebene | 0.4 |
| β-Elemene | 0.6 |
| β-Caryophyllene | 0.7 |
| β-Copaene | 0.2 |
| α-Cedrene | 0.3 |
| α-Humulene | 0.4 |
| trans-β-Farnesene | 0.2 |
| allo-Aromadendrene | 0.2 |
| γ-Muurolene | t |
| Germacreno D | 4.5 |
| α-Zingiberene | 0.9 |
| α-Muurolene | 0.3 |
| α-Bulnesene* | 1.0 |
| β-Bisabolene | 0.5 |
| δ-Cadinene | 0.4 |
| Elemol | 1.5 |
| trans-Nerolidol | 0.3 |
| β-Eudesmol | 0.2 |
| α-Eudesmol | 0.2 |
| Grouped components | |
| Monoterpene hydrocarbons 30.5% | |
| Oxygen-containing monoterpenes 49.3% | |
| Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons 11.2% | |
| Oxygen-containing sesquiterpenes 2.2% | |
| Phenylpropanoids t | |
| Others 3.3% |
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Scientific Evidence
| Effect | Route used in the experiment | Source |
| Vasorelexant and antispasmodic | Animal tissue (euthanized rats) | [2] |
| Anti-microbial | Lab incubation | [11] |
| Reduces uterine contractions (Myorelaxant) | Animal tissue (euthanized rats) | [12] |
| Analgesic | Intraperitoneally | [13] [14] |
| Anti-inflammatory | Orally and intraperitoneally | [15] |
| Anxiolytic and sedative | Intraperitoneally | [16] [14] |
References
- Hennebelle, S. Sahpaz, H. Joseph e F. Bailleul, “Ethnopharmacology of Lippis Alba,” Journal of Ethnopharmacology, nº 116, pp. 211-222, 2008.
- d. Silva, L. d. Morais, A. Silva, C. Bastos, Á. Pereira-Golçaves, M. Kerntopf,
- Menezes, J. Leal-Cardoso e R. Barbosa, “Vasorelaxant effect of the Lippia alba essential oil and its major constituent, citral, on the contractibility of isolated rat aorta,” Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, nº 108, pp. 792-798, 2018.
- Z. D. M.-S. S. e. a. Vera, “Essential oils with insecticidal activity against larvae of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae),” Parasitol Res, nº 113, p. 2647–2654, 2014.
- Pascual, K. Slowing, E. Carretero, D. S. Mata e A. Villar, “Lippia: traditional uses, chemistry and pharmacology: a review,” Journal of Ethnopharmacology, nº 76, pp. 201-214, 2001.
- Camilo, D. Leite, C. Nonato, N. Carvalho, D. Ribeiro e J. d. Costa, “Traditional use of the genus Lippia sp. and pesticidal potential: A review,” Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, nº 40, p. 102296, 2022.
- Gomes, M. Almeida, A. Ruela, J. Amaral, J. David e M. Leite, “Development and evaluation of physical and release properties of a tablet formulation containing dry hydroethanolic extract from Lippia alba leaves,” Journal of Herbal Medicine, nº 29, p. 100459, 2021.
- d. A. Lima, N. M. d. Q. Baptista, A. P. S. d. Oliveira, P. A. d. Silva, N. B. d. Gusmão, M. T. d. S. Correia, T. H. Napoleão, M. V. d. Silva e P. M. G. Paiva, “Insecticidal activity of a chemotype VI essential oil from Lippia alba leaves collected at Caatinga and the major compound (1,8-cineole) against Nasutitermes corniger and Sitophilus zeamais,” Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, vol. 177, nº 104901, 2021.
- Teles, J. A. Pereira, C. H. Santos, R. V. Menezes, R. Malheiro, A. Lucchese e F. Silva, “Geographical origin and drying methodology may affect the essential oil of Lippia alba (Mill) N.E. Brown,” Industrial Crops and Products, nº 37, pp. 247- 252, 2012.
- Soares, P. D. Jr., I. Campos, G. Amorim, M. d. Carmo, D. Chaves e M. d. Souza, “Selection of genotypes (citral chemotype) of Lippia alba(Mill.) N.E. Brown regarding seasonal stability of the essential oils chemical profile,” Industrial Crops & Products, nº 139, p. 111497, 2019.
- O. Onawunmi, “Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of Citral,” Letters in Applied Microbiology, nº 9, pp. 105-108, 1989.
- Pereira-de-Morais, A. d. A. Silva, R. d. Silva, R. d. Costa, Á. Monteiro, C. Barbosa, T. Amorim, I. Menezes, M. Kerntopf e R. Barbosa, “Tocolytic activity of the Lippia alba essential oil and its major constituents, citral and limonene, on the isolated uterus of rats,” Chemico-Biological Interactions, nº 297, pp. 155-159, 2019.
- Blanco, G. Colareda, C. v. Baren, A. Bandoni, J. Ringuelet e A. Consolini, “Antispasmodic effects and composition of the essential oils from two South American chemotypes of Lippia alba,” Journal of Ethnopharmacology, nº 149, pp. 803-809, 2013.
- Siqueira-Lima, F. Passos, A. Lucchese, I. Menezes, H. Coutinho, A. Lima,
- Zengin, J. Quintans e L. Quintans-Jr., “Central nervous system and analgesic profiles of Lippia genus,” Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy, nº 29, pp. 125-135, 2019.
- D. V. T. R. V. M. F. Viana, “Analgesic and antiinflammatory effects of two chemotypes of Lippia alba: A comparative study,” Pharmaceutical Biology, vol. 36, nº 5, pp. 347-351, 1998.
- Gomes, M. Almeida, M. Leite, S. Schwaiger, H. Stuppner, M. Halabalaki,
- Amaral e J. David, “Seasonal variation in the chemical composition of two chemotypes of Lippia alba,” Food Chemistry, nº 273, pp. 186-193, 2019.