Common Verbena, Common Vervain, Herb of Grace, Herb of the Cross,
Scientific Name:
Verbena officinalis.
Family: Verbenaceae.
People Use This For:
Verbena is used for sore throats. Verbena is also used orally for depression, melancholia, and convalescence after fevers. It is also used for pain, spasms, exhaustion, nervous conditions, digestive disorders, liver and gallbladder diseases. Other uses include menopausal complaints, irregular menstruation,
increasing lactation.
Safety:
No concerns regarding safety when used orally in amounts commonly found in foods. Verbena has Generally Recognized As Safe status (GRAS) for use in foods in the US.88
Pregnancy and Lactation: Refer to a Medical Herbalist.
Effectiveness:
POSSIBLY EFFECTIVE
Sinusitis. Taking verbena orally in combination with gentian root, elderflower, cowslip flower, and sorrel (SinuComp, Sinupret) is effective for treating acute or chronic sinusitis. Clinical studies have used Sinupret.89,90
Mechanism of Action:
The applicable parts of verbena are the above ground parts. Verbena contains verbascoside (acetoside), verbenalin, beta-sitosterol, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, citral, and other constituents.91,92 Preliminary research suggests verbena might have anti-inflammatory and weak antimicrobial activity.93,91 Other preliminary research suggests constituent verbascoside has analgesic, sedative effects, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective effects.94,95,96
Adverse Reactions:
Verbena appears to have low toxicity.R2 pp.442
Interactions with Herbs & Supplements:
None known.
Interactions with Drugs:
None known.
Interactions with Foods:
None known.
Interactions with Lab Tests:
None known.
Interactions with Diseases or Conditions:
None known.
Dosage/Administration:
Dr Clare’s Blends: Dose 455mgs per day. 1.5mls 1:3 Tincture.
Dried Herb 2-4gms per day.R2 pp.442
Specific References: VERBENA
88. FDA. Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Premarket Approval, EAFUS: A food additive database. Available at: vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/eafus.html.
89. Neubauer N, Marz RW. Placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, clincal trial with Sinupret sugar coated tablets on the basis of a therapy with antibiotics and decongestant nasal drops in acute sinusitis. Phytomedicine 1994;1:177-81.
90. Marz RW, Ismail C, Popp MA. Action profile and efficacy of a herbal combination preparation for the treatment of sinusitis. Wien Med Wochenschr 1999;149:202-8.
91. Deepak M, Handa SS. Antiinflammatory activity and chemical composition of extracts of Verbena officinalis. Phytother Res 2000;14:463-5.
92. Dudai N, Weinstein Y, Krup M, et al. Citral is a new inducer of caspase-3 in tumor cell lines. Planta Med 2005;71:484-8
93. Hernandez NE, Tereschuk ML, Abdala LR. Antimicrobial activity of flavonoids in medicinal plants from Tafi del Valle (Tucuman, Argentina). J Ethnopharmacol 2000;73:317-22.
94. Nakamura T, Okuyama E, Tsukada A, et al. Acteoside as the analgesic principle of Cedron (Lippia triphylla), a Peruvian medicinal plant. Chem Pharm Bull 1997;45:499-504.
95. Chiou WF, Lin LC, Chen CF. Acteoside protects endothelial cells against free radical-induced oxidative stress. J Pharm Pharmacol 2004;56:743-8.
96. Lee KJ, Woo ER, Choi CY, et al. Protective effect of acteoside on carbon tetrachloride-