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Verbena officinalis Linn.


Botanical Name	:	Verbena officinalis Linn.
English Name	:	Vervain
Family	:	Verbenaceae

General Info

Description

An erect or decumbent perennial, with a woody rootstock, 30-150 cm tall. Stems quadrangular; leaves opposite or ternate, oblong or ovate, coarsely toothed, pinnatifid or variously lobed, lobes acute or obtuse; flowers lilac, in dense, slender, elongated spikes; pyrenes oblong, 3-ribbed, dorsally smooth.

Herb Effects

Analgesic, antibacterial, anticoagulant, antispasmodic, astringent, depurative, diaphoretic, mildly diuretic, emmenagogue, galactogogue, stimulant, tonic and vulnerary (leaves and flowering stems).

Links

Australian Naturopathic Network
Plants for a Future
Herb Information

Chemistry

Active Ingredients

Adenosine, beta-carotene, caffeic acid, lupeol (leaf); aucubin, citral, tannin, ursolic acid, verbenin (plant); verbenalin (flower)

Chemistry of Active Ingredients

Name

CAS#

IUPAC Name

Formula

Structure

Adenosine

Not Available

2-(6-aminopurin-9-yl
)-5-(hydroxymethyl)o
xolane-3,4-diol

C₁₀H₁₃N₅O₄

Beta Carotene

7235-40-7

3,7,12,16-tetramethy
l-1,18-bis(2,6,6-tri
methyl-1-cyclohexeny
l)-octadec a-1,3,5,
7,9,11,13,15,17-nona
ene

C₄₀H₅₆

Caffeic acid

Not Available

3-(3,4-dihydroxyphen
yl)prop-2-enoic acid

C₉H₈O₄

Lupeol

Not Available

C₃₀H₅₀O

Aucubin

479-98-1

2-[[9-hydroxy-7-(hyd
roxymethyl)-4-oxabic
yclo[4.3.0]nona-2,7-
dien-5-yl] oxy]-6-(
hydroxymethyl)oxane-
3,4,5-triol

C₁₅H₂₂O₉

Citral

96680-15-8

3,7-dimethylocta-2,6
-dienal

C₁₀H₁₆O

Tannin

1401-55-4

Not Available

C₂₇H₂₂O₁₈

Ursolic acid

77-52-1

10-hydroxy-1,2,6a,6b
,9,9,12a-heptamethyl
-2,3,4,5,6,6a,7,8,8a
,10,11,12, 13,14b-t
etradecahydro-1H-pic
ene-4a-carboxylic
acid

C₃₀H₄₈O₃

Verbenalin

Not Available

methyl
(1R,2S,6S,9S)-9-meth
yl-7-oxo-2-[(2S,3R,4
S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihy
dro xy-6-(hydroxyme
thyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-3
-oxabicyclo[4.3.0]no
n-4-ene-5-carbo xyl
ate

C₁₇H₂₄O₁₀

Pharmacology

Medicinal Use

In liver and gallbladder complaints, chronic eczema and bronchitis,insomnia, menstrual pain, in the treatment of headaches, fevers, nervous exhaustion, depression, insufficient lactation (plant); in rheumatism, healing of wounds, for the swellings of womb (leaves)

Contraindication

Not to be used in pregnancy.

Reference

Stary, Medicinal Herbs and Plants.

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