473

12(1): Medicinal and poisonous plants 1

Verbena officinalis L.

Sp. pl. 1: 20 (1753).

VERBENACEAE

2n = 12, 14

Vervain, holy wort (En). Herbe sacrée, verveine officinale (Fr). Malaysia: marphin choo. Philippines: verbena. Thailand: nang dong laang. Vietnam: c[or] roi ng[uwj]a, m[ax] ti[ee]n th[ar]o.

Verbena officinalis is a species of temperate and subtropical regions, probably originating from the Mediterranean region. It is found at both low and higher elevations in South-East Asia, e.g. in Java, New Guinea, Luzon, northern Thailand and Vietnam. It was introduced for its ornamental value or traditional use in folk medicine in Europe. In general it has become a weed as a follower of cultivation.

The aerial parts of Verbena officinalis are commonly used in European traditional medicine as digestive aid and mild diuretic, to stimulate the renal excretion of water. Furthermore, it is considered a tonic, galactagogue, emmenagogue, purgative, febrifugal, diaphoretic, astringent, anthelmintic, antihaemorrhagic, antispasmodic and antiscorbutic. Externally, it is applied as a gargle to treat throat problems and stomatitis, and as a compress or poultice against ulcers, cuts, contusions, piles and headache. Topical application as an emollient also includes the relief of itching in cases of skin disorders, sunburn and burns. In Europe, reported indications for its use are treatment of jaundice, chlorosis, dropsy, gout, kidney and bladder stones, rheumatism, haematuria, fever, neuralgia and ophthalmia.
In Indo-China, China, Taiwan and Korea, Verbena officinalis is used internally against colds, fever, inflammations, digestive and intestinal complaints, uterine problems and disorders in the urinary tract. It is also taken after parturition, as a depurative and to help to remove the placenta, in cases of oedema, anaemia, tympanitis, congestion and as antidote after insect bites. Externally, it is used as a poultice or wash to treat skin diseases, wounds, abscesses and tumours. In Vietnam, a decoction of Verbena officinalis is used against dropsy and a poultice against tumours on the scrotum, whereas it is also considered to be useful to regulate menstruation. In Thailand, Verbena officinalis is used in the treatment of liver and gall bladder complaints, colds, fever, bronchitis and mental disorders, whereas the leaves are applied externally to treat rheumatism, wounds and eczemas. In India, the fresh leaves are used as a febrifuge, tonic and as a rubefacient to treat rheumatism or other diseases of the joints, whereas the root is believed to be useful in the treatment of scrofula and snake bite.
Verbena officinalis is applied as an insecticide. Other Verbena species like Verbena laciniata (L.) Briq., Verbena rigida Spreng. and V. xhybrida Voss are cultivated in Java as ornamentals, but Verbena bonariensis L. is naturalized and found in fields, grassland, plantations and roadsides. Medicinal uses have been reported for Verbena rigida in Africa, where root decoctions are used against heartburn and colic and for Verbena bonariensis in Brazil, where it is used to treat fevers and catarrh.

Verbena officinalis has a bitter taste. It is known to contain iridoids and their glycosides, such as hastatoside, verbenalin (= verbanaloside, cornin) and verbenin (= aucubin), and phenylpropanoid glycosides e.g. verbascoside (= acetoside) and eukovoside (= leucosceptosid-A). Further phytochemical investigations have also revealed the presence of phytoestrogens and phytoprogestins, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, mucilage, adenosine and 'BETA'-carotene. Verbena officinalis leaves from Morocco were found to yield an essential oil containing more than 40 compounds, the predominant ones being spathulenol (10.8%), limonene (7.5%), 1,8-cineole (7.5%), caryophyllene-epoxide (7.3%), ar-curcumene (6.0%), geranial (3.3%), neral (2.5%) and 'ALFA'-terpineol. Verbenalin (= verbanaloside), a monoglycoside of the iridoid verbenalol, is present in all plant parts. It has been shown that iridoid biosynthesis efficiency in Verbena officinalis decreases during the flowering period.
Furthermore, verbenalin is identical to cornin, which has been isolated from Cornus florida L. Verbenalin is non-toxic and has parasympathomimetic properties. It stimulates the uterus in mammals, giving an increased tonus and stronger contractions. In dogs it slightly retards cardiac movements, reduces blood pressure and respiration, causes vasodilation in the kidneys and gives increased and more regular intestinal movements. In rabbits, it has shown antithermic activity, and it stimulates smooth muscle preparations of isolated rabbit intestines. In frogs, verbenalin in large doses is reported to stimulate the motoric activities of the central nervous system, causing stupor, convulsions and paralysis.
Verbenin (= aucubin), another iridoid glycoside, is known to have galactagogue properties. When given to lactating animals it increases milk secretion. The phenylpropanoid verbascoside (= acetoside) is reported to act as an agonist to the antitremor action of laevodopa, and furthermore as an antihypertensive and analgesic.
Pharmacological properties attributed to the plant as a whole include anti-microbial activity and antiviral activity against the murine cytomegalovirus. Its usefulness in the prevention and treatment of kidney-stone formation might be attributed to its disinfectant action and perhaps to the presence of saponins.
Finally, Verbena officinalis is suspected of being poisonous to cattle, Verbena rigida of causing irritation in livestock and Verbena bonariensis of causing abortion in cows.

A perennial herb up to 100 cm tall; stem erect or decumbent at base, shallowly furrowed, glabrous or sparingly pubescent, tough. Leaves opposite, ovate-oblong in outline, pinnatifid to pinnately divided, 2.5-8 cm x 0.8-5 cm, base attenuate, apex acuminate, sessile by a narrowed base. Inflorescence a spike, lax at anthesis, 5-20 cm long, solitary or combined into a lax compound inflorescence. Flowers with a tubular calyx 2.5-3 mm long at anthesis, 5-toothed, densely glandular pubescent, scarcely longer than the fruit; corolla tube 3-4 mm long, corolla limb 5-lobed, 3-5 mm in diameter, pale lilac; stamens 4, inserted on the corolla tube; ovary superior, 4-celled, cells 1-ovuled, style short. Fruit breaking up into 4 closed cocci; cocci about 2 mm long. Seedling with epigeal germination; cotyledons herbaceous, glabrous; hypocotyl elongated, epicotyl present.

Verbena consists of about 200(-450) species, almost exclusively originating from temperate and tropical regions of the Americas. Only 2 species can be considered as originating from Europe or the Near East. A considerable number have been introduced in other parts of the world, mostly as garden ornamentals, and sometimes have become naturalized or even weedy. In North America Verbena hallei Small, indigenous to the south-eastern United States, is now considered as a subspecies of Verbena officinalis (Verbena officinalis L. subsp. hallei (Small) Barber). However, Verbena officinalis L. subsp. officinalis has been introduced from Europe and is now common in the eastern Atlantic part of the United States. In East Africa, the morphological distinctness found is given a taxonomic rank as Verbena officinalis subsp. africana R. Fernandes & Verdcourt.

Verbena officinalis seeds germinate only when mean temperatures are above 14°C, with day temperatures higher than 19°C. Flowering is promoted at temperatures of 16°C or higher. Verbena spp. do not tolerate high relative humidity.

Verbena officinalis can be propagated through seed, cuttings and rootstock division.

Aerial parts are collected before anthesis.

After collecting, aerial parts and roots can be dried for storage and future use.

Although Verbena officinalis is credited with a wide range of medicinal properties, most of these remain to be scientifically confirmed. It might be useful as a remedy for fever and common colds, and to prevent and treat urolithiasis, but more effective and equally innocuous substances are already available.

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Wongsatit Chuakul, Noppamas Soonthornchareonnon & Promjit Saralamp

Chuakul, W., Soonthornchareonnon, N. & Saralamp, P., 1999. Verbena officinalis L.. In: de Padua, L.S., Bunyapraphatsara, N. and Lemmens, R.H.M.J. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 12(1): Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record: prota4u.org/prosea