Lemongrass
Scientific Name(s): Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf., C. schoenanthus (L.) Spreng., C. flexuosus (Nees ex Stend.) J.F. Watson., Family: Poaceae (grasses)
Common Name(s): Lemongrass . C. citratus , is known as Guatemala , West Indian , or Madagascar lemongrass . C. flexuosus , is known as cochin lemongrass , British Indian lemongrass , East Indian lemongrass , or French Indian verbena.
Clinical Overview
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Uses of Lemongrass
Lemongrass is used as a fragrance and flavoring, and in folk medicine, as an antispasmodic, hypotensive, anticonvulsant, analgesic, antiemetic, antitussive, antirheumatic, antiseptic and as treatment for nervous and GI disorders and fevers.
Lemongrass Dosing
No information is available on dosage in the medicinal use of lemongrass oil.
Contraindications
Contraindications have not yet been identified.
Pregnancy/Lactation
Lemongrass should not be used in pregnancy because of uterine and menstrual flow stimulation.
Lemongrass Interactions
None well documented.
Lemongrass Adverse Reactions
Rare cases of hypersensitivity have been reported. No laboratory test abnormalities were noted after ingestion of lemongrass tea.
Toxicology
Lemongrass is considered to be of low toxicity. Constituent beta-myrcene was found to interfere with cytochrome P450 liver enzymes, suggesting possible toxicities. Toxic alveolitis has been associated with inhalation of the oil.
Botany
Cymbopogon is a tall, aromatic perennial grass that is native to tropical Asia. C. citratus is cultivated in the West Indies, Central and South America, and tropical regions. The linear leaves can grow up to 90 cm in height and 5 mm wide. Freshly cut and partially dried leaves are used medicinally and are the source of the essential oil. 1 , 2
History
Lemongrass is one of the most widely used traditional plants in South American folk medicine. It is used as an antispasmodic, analgesic, for the management of nervous and GI disorders, to treat fevers, and as an antiemetic. In India, it is commonly used as an antitussive, antirheumatic, and antiseptic. It is usually taken by ingesting an infusion made by pouring boiling water on fresh or dried leaves. Lemongrass is an important part of Southeast Asian cuisine, especially in Thai food and has been used in flavoring. In Chinese medicine, lemongrass is used in the treatment for headaches, stomachaches, abdominal pain, and rheumatic pain. 3
Chemistry
Fresh C. citratus grass contains about 0.4% of volatile oil. 3 The oil contains 65% to 85% of citral (a mixture of 2 geometric isomers, geraniol and neral). Citral is used as a flavoring to fortify lemon oil and in perfumes and colognes for its lemon scent. 4 Accumulation of citral in certain lemongrass leaf structures has been studied. 5 The yield of essential oil and citral content in the plant has been evaluated. 6 Citral isolated from C. citratus from Laguna was found to be of good quality with 93.7% purity. 7 GC analysis in 1 report finds geraniol and neral, along with related geraniol, geranic acid, and nerolic acid. 8
Other compounds found in the oil include myrcene (12% to 25%), diterpenes, methylheptenone, citronellol, linalol, farnesol, other alcohols, aldehydes, linalool, terpineol, and more than a dozen other minor fragrant components. 1 , 4 , 9 , 10 , 11 Reports concerning chemical analyses of C. citratus specific to country of origin are available, finding some similarities to the above components. Philippine lemongrass has been found to contain alpha and beta pinene, limonene, phellandrene, and others, 12 , 13 findings of 21 components such as anisaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde, catechol, and hydroquinone from certain fractions of this species from Bangladesh, 14 and various constituents from this species and others (including C. winterianus , C. jwarancusa ) from China 15 and Morocco. 16
Other species' chemical components have been reported. C. flexuosus grass contains approximately 0.5% volatile oil, which in some strains contains up to 85% citral. However, many strains have a higher concentration of geraniol (50%) with citral (10% to 20%) and methyl eugenol as minor components. Yet another type of East Indian lemongrass is reported to contain no citral but up to 30% borneol. 1 , 3 In 1 report analyzing essential oil samples, C. jwarancusa contains 70% piperitone; C. distans , 40% piperitone; C. matrini , geraniol, and geranyl acetate; C. tortius , Me eugenol; C. caesius , 30% carvone. 15
Nonvolatile components of C. citratus consist of luteolins, homo-orientin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, P-coumaric acid, fructose, sucrose, octacosanol, and others. 17 Flavonoids luteolin and 6-C-glucoside have also been isolated. 18 One study reports high concentrations of cobalt. 19
Lemongrass Uses and Pharmacology
Lemongrass has been widely used in South American traditional medicine. A report of Guatemalan use lists lemongrass as a popular medicinal plant. 20 Brazilian folk medicine uses the plant for nervous conditions or GI disturbances. 21 Traditional Indian medicine employs lemongrass for fever, infection, and sedation. 1 Other uses include as an astringent, fragrance in beauty products, food flavoring, and treatment for skin conditions, muscle pain, infections, fever, colitis, and indigestion. 1 , 2 However, effectiveness of lemongrass has not been sufficiently evaluated to help substantiate these claims.
The general lack of pharmacologic activity of oral doses of lemongrass have been substantiated in humans.
Hypnotic/Anxiolytic effectAnimal data
Research reveals no animal data regarding the use of lemongrass for hypnotic/anxiolytic effects.
Clinical dataVolunteers who took a single oral dose or 2 weeks of oral intake of the tea showed no changes in any hematologic or urinary tests, or in EEG or ECG tracings. Some subjects showed mild elevations of direct bilirubin and amylase levels, but none were accompanied by any clinical manifestations. The hypnotic effect was further investigated in 50 volunteers who ingested a tea prepared under double-blind conditions 3 nights 3 to 5 days apart. The parameters tested (sleep induction time, sleep quality, dream recall, reawakening) did not show any effect of lemongrass compared with placebo. Furthermore, 18 patients with documented anxiety traits showed no differences in their anxiety scores after taking a single 150 mL dose of lemongrass tea under double-blind conditions. 21
RheumatismAnimal data
A peripheral, dose-dependent, analgesic effect was found in studies including rat paw testing, which may explain certain “sedative” folk uses of the plant. 22 Similarly, when rats were fed the 20% decoction, rat paw edema was inhibited by 19% vs control; however, indomethacin inhibited the edema by 59%. The study concluded that the antirheumatic effects of lemongrass after oral administration were too weak to be considered of any clinical usefulness. 23
Clinical dataResearch reveals no clinical data regarding the use of lemongrass for rheumatism.
Antimicrobial effectsOne mechanism of action explained in a report evaluating lemongrass oil and its antibacterial effects on Escherichia coli determined that the oil elicits morphological alterations on the host, including filamentation, inhibition of septum formation, production of bulging, abnormal shaping of cells, as well as cell lysis, all of which deter bacterial growth. 24
Animal dataSeveral reports demonstrating the antimicrobial effects of lemongrass are available discussing its activity against animal and plant pathogens, gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, and fungus. 25 Constituents geraniol (alpha-citral) and neral (beta-citral) were found to possess these antibacterial effects in 1 report. 26 The citral content in the oil greatly affected the antibacterial actions as shown in another report testing fresh oil against oils up to 12 years old. 27 Some organisms inhibited by lemongrass oil include Acinetobacter baumanii , Aeromonas veronii , Candida albicans , Enterococcus faecalis , E. coli , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Salmonella enterica , Serratia marcescens , Staphlycoccus aureus , and Proteus mirabilis . 28 , 29
Clinical dataResearch reveals no clinical data regarding the use of lemongrass for antimicrobial effects.
Antifungal effectsAnimal data
Antifungal effects of the oil have been studied as well, and include actions against such dermatophytes as Trichophyton mentagrophytes , T. rubrum , Epidermophyton floccosum , and Microsporum gypseum . 30 In a 13-oil study, lemongrass oil was found to be among the most active against human dermatophyte strains, inhibiting 80% of strains, with inhibition zones greater than 10 mm in diameter. 31 Other studies report lemongrass actions against keratinophilic fungi, 32 ringworm fungi, 33 , 34 and food storage fungi. 35 Lemongrass oil is discussed as being effective as an herbicide 36 and an insecticide 37 , 38 because of these naturally occurring antimicrobial effects.
Clinical dataResearch reveals no clinical data regarding the use of lemongrass for antifungal effects.
Anticarcinogenic effectsThere are also numerous reports demonstrating the anticarcinogenic (or antitumor) properties of lemongrass. Edible plants (including lemongrass), in general, are discussed. 39 , 40 Active compounds in lemongrass include d-limonene and geraniol. 41
Animal dataEssential oil from C. citratus leaves and constituent citral were both proven to be toxic against P388 mouse leukemia cells. 42 , 43 Another report finds the plant extract to possess antimutagenic properties against certain S. typimurium strains. 44 Lemongrass extract also inhibits DNA adduct formation in rat colon. 45 Another report on aflatoxin-albumin adduct formation influenced by the plant finds no alteration in this area. 46 A Japanese patent application discusses how constituent geraniol markedly inhibits Epstein-Barr virus. 47 Oil of C. citrans possessed high antiradical power, as well as some antioxidant activity. 48
Clinical dataResearch reveals no clinical data regarding the use of lemongrass for anticancer effects.
Other usesOther reported effects of lemongrass include a 1975 report on fever reduction, 49 dose-related hypotensive effects in rats, weak diuretic actions, 50 and myrcene's ability to induce antinociception in mice. 51
Dosage
No information is available on dosage in the medicinal use of lemongrass oil.
Pregnancy/Lactation
Lemongrass should not be used in pregnancy because of uterine and menstrual flow stimulation. 52
Interactions
None well documented.
Adverse Reactions
Topical application of lemongrass has rarely led to an allergic reaction. No laboratory test abnormalities were noted after ingestion of lemongrass tea.
Toxicology
Lemongrass is “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS) in the United States.
Two cases of toxic alveolitis have been reported from inhalation of the oil. 2 Oral doses equivalent to 208 times the normal human dose did not potentiate the sleep-time of sodium pentobarbital in mice. 22 , 53 An infusion of lemongrass given orally to rats for 2 months in doses up to 20 times the corresponding human dose did not induce any toxic effects. The tea did not affect male rats in any way. Similarly, female rats showed no abnormality in the estrus cycle, nor did doses interfere with fertility, pregnancy, or the development of the offspring. No external malformations were noted in the pups. The authors concluded that the lack of toxicity and pharmacologic activity made lemongrass a valuable placebo. 54 Achara, an herbal tea made from dried lemongrass leaves, was found to be atoxic. 55 Substance beta-myrcene was found not to be genotoxic in another report. 56 Aqueous extracts of the plant used as an insecticide led to some mitotic abnormalities in Allium cepa root tips grown in these extracts, which may have implications in humans. 57 In addition, constituent beta-myrcene was found in reports to interfere with cytochrome P450 liver enzymes, suggesting possible toxicities. 58 , 59 , 60
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