Abstract
Verbena officinalis (common vervain) is a medicinal plant species widely distributed in the world and
commonly used in folk medicine of different countries, including traditional Chinese
medicine. Monographs on “Verbenae herba” have been included in the European Pharmacopoeia since 2008, and in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia
since 1995. This work presents botanical characteristics of this species. It reviews
the current knowledge of its chemical composition, which is a rich source mostly of
iridoids, phenylpropanoid glycosides, phenolic acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and
essential oil. A large part of this article summarizes traditional medicinal uses
and professional pharmacological in vitro and in vivo studies that prove new important applications, e.g., antioxidant, antimicrobial,
anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective anticancer, analgesic, or anticonvulsant of verbena
herb extracts and individual metabolites. Moreover, emphasis is put on the use
of V. officinalis in the food and cosmetics industries, especially due to its antioxidant, antibacterial,
and anti-inflammatory properties, and the presence of essential oil with an attractive
fragrance composition. This paper also presents the state of biotechnological studies
of this species.
Key words
vervain -
Verbena officinalis
- Verbenaceae - chemical composition - therapeutic significance - investigation of
biological activity - biotechnological research
