Neurological and Neuroprotective effects of Melissa officinalis L.

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Traditional Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Introduction:Melissa officinalis (Lamiaceae) has been used in Iranian Traditional Medicine for the treatment of neurological disorders, including dementia, epilepsy, paralysis, strokes, migraine, and vertigo. Several pharmacological studies showed neuroprotective effectsofM. officinalis and its active constituent, namely rosmarinic acid.  Regarding the high prevalence of Alzheimer's and other central nervous system diseases as well as the utilization of M. officinalis for the treatment of these diseases in traditional medicine, this review aimed to identify the neuroprotective effectsof this plant and its major components for the treatment of neurological diseases.
Materials and Methods:This study is a review article. Major textbooks in traditional medicine and pharmacy as well as the scientific databases were searched to find the effect of this plant on neurological disorders and other central nervous system diseases in traditional medicine.
Results:M. officinalis acts through different mechanisms, including the reduction of oxidative stress, inhibition of acetylcholinestrase, stimulation of acetylcholine and GABAA receptors, and inhibition of metalloproteinase-2 and monoamine oxidase.  Oral administration of M. officinalis  for 8 weeks leads to the treatment of above-mentioned diseases without any side effects.
Conclusion:The utilization of M. officinalis as a complimentary treatment may be beneficial for the treatment of neurological disorders, especially Alzheimer's disease. 

Keywords

References

1.     Sobhani Z, Nami SR, Emami SA, Sahebkar A, Javadi B. Medicinal plants targeting cardiovascular diseases in view of Avicenna. Curr Pharm Des. 2017; 23(17):2428-43.
2.     Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckmann J. Herbal medicine. Expanded commission E monographs. Arizona: Integrative Medicine Communications; 2000.
3.     British herbal pharmacopoeia. London: British Herbal Medicine Association; 1996.
4.     Commission BP, Commission GBM, Council GM. British pharmacopoeia 2000. London: Bernan Press (PA); 2000.
5.     Ghassemi Dehkordi N, Sajjadi SE, Ghannadi A, Amanzadeh Y, Azadbakht M, Asghari G. Iranian herbal pharmacopoeia (IHP). Hakim R J. 2003; 6(3):63-9.
6.     Javadi B. Diet therapy for cancer prevention and treatment based on traditional persian medicine. Nutr Cancer. 2018; 70(3):376-403.
7.     Lopez V, Martin S, Gomez-Serranillos MP, Carretero ME, Jager AK, Calvo MI. Neuroprotective and neurological properties of Melissa officinalis. Neurochem Res. 2009; 34(11):1955-61.
8.     Sepand MR, Soodi M, Hajimehdipoor H, Soleimani M, Sahraei E. Comparison of neuroprotective effects of melissa officinalis total extract and its acidic and non-acidic fractions against a beta-induced toxicity. Iran J Pharm Res. 2013; 12(2):415-23.
9.     Newman DJ, Cragg GM. Natural products as sources of new drugs from 1981 to 2014. J Nat Prod. 2016; 79(3):629-61.
10.  Shakeri A, Sahebkar A, Javadi B. Melissa officinalis L.–A review of its traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology. J Ethnopharmacol. 2016; 188:204-28.
11.  De Sousa AC, Gattass CR, Alviano DS, Alviano CS, Blank AF, Alves PB. Melissa officinalis L. essential oil: antitumoral and antioxidant activities. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2004; 56(5):677-81.
12.  Sina I. Al-Qanun fi'l-Tibb (The Canon of Medicine). New Delhi: I.H.M.M.R. Printing Press; 1987.
13.  Javadi B, Emami SA. Avicenna’s contribution to mechanisms of cardiovascular drugs. Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2015; 18(8):721-2.
14.  Ahwazi Arjani AA. Kamel al-Sanaah al-Tibbiyah (The Perfect Art of the Medicine). Mashahd: Astan-e Quds-e Razavi; 1973. P. 408.
15.  Aqili Khorasani MH. Makhzan al-Adwiah (Drug Treasure). Tehran: Enqelab-e Eslami Publishing and Educational Organization; 1844. P. 472-3.
16.  Si J. Zakhireh Kharazmshahi (Treasure of Kharazmshah). Tehran: The Iranian Culture Foundation; 1976. P. 462.
17.  Osbaldeston TA. Dioscorides de materia medica. Johannesburg, South Africa: IBIDIS Press; 2000.
18.  Wake G, Court J, Pickering A, Lewis R, Wilkins R, Perry E. CNS acetylcholine receptor activity in European medicinal plants traditionally used to improve failing memory. J Ethnopharmacol. 2000; 69(2):105-14.
19.  Kihara T, Shimohama S, Sawada H, Kimura J, Kume T, Kochiyama H, et al. Nicotinic receptor stimulation protects neurons against beta-amyloid toxicity. Anna Neurol. 1997; 42(2):159-63.
20.  Liu Q, Zhao B. Nicotine attenuates beta-amyloid peptide-induced neurotoxicity, free radical and calcium accumulation in hippocampal neuronal cultures. Br J Pharmacol. 2004; 141(4):746-54.
21.  Hassanzadeh G, Pasbakhsh P, Akbari M, Shokri S, Ghahremani M, Amin G, et al. Neuroprotective properties of melissa officinalis L. Extract against ecstasy-induced neurotoxicity. Cell J. 2011; 13(1):
25-30.
22.  Braidy N, Matin A, Rossi F, Chinain M, Laurent D, Guillemin GJ. Neuroprotective effects of rosmarinic acid on ciguatoxin in primary human neurons. Neurotox Res. 2014; 25(2):226-34.
23.  Bayat M, Azami Tameh A, Hossein Ghahremani M, Akbari M, Mehr SE, Khanavi M, et al. Neuroprotective properties of Melissa officinalis after hypoxic-ischemic injury both in vitro and in vivo. Daru. 2012; 20(1):42.
24.  Ramanauskiene K, Raudonis R, Majiene D. Rosmarinic acid and Melissa officinalis extracts differently affect glioblastoma cells. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2016; 2016:1564257.
25.  Grigoletto J, Oliveira CV, Grauncke AC, Souza TL, Souto NS, Freitas ML, et al. Rosmarinic acid
is anticonvulsant against seizures induced by pentylenetetrazol and pilocarpine in mice. Epilepsy Behav. 2016; 62:27-34.
26.  Cummings JL. Cholinesterase inhibitors: a new class of psychotropic compounds. Am J Psychiatry. 2000; 157(1):4-15.
27.  Ellis JM. Cholinesterase inhibitors in the treatment of dementia. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2005; 105(3):
145-58.
28.  Dastmalchi K, Ollilainen V, Lackman P, Boije af Gennas G, Dorman HJ, Jarvinen PP, et al. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitory guided fractionation of Melissa officinalis L. Bioorg Med Chem. 2009; 17(2):867-71.
29.  Pereira RP, Boligon AA, Appel AS, Fachinetto R, Ceron CS, Tanus-Santos JE, et al. Chemical composition, antioxidant and anticholinesterase activity of Melissa officinalis. Indust Crops Prod. 2014; 53:34-45.
30.  Adsersen A, Gauguin B, Gudiksen L, Jager AK. Screening of plants used in Danish folk medicine to treat memory dysfunction for acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity. J Ethnopharmacol. 2006; 104(3):
418-22.
31.  Ferreira A, Proenca C, Serralheiro ML, Araujo ME. The in vitro screening for acetylcholinesterase inhibition and antioxidant activity of medicinal plants from Portugal. J Ethnopharmacol. 2006; 108(1):31-7.
32.  Cunningham ML, Fairlamb AH. Trypanothione reductase from Leishmania donovani. Purification, characterisation and inhibition by trivalent antimonials. Eur J Biochem. 1995; 230(2):460-8.
33.  Kihara T, Shimohama S. Alzheimer's disease and acetylcholine receptors. Acta Neurobiol Exp. 2004; 64(1):99-105.
34.  Solas M, Puerta E, Ramirez MJ. Treatment options in alzheimer s disease: the GABA story. Curr Pharm Des. 2015; 21(34):4960-71.
35.  Huang L, Abuhamdah S, Howes MJ, Dixon CL, Elliot MS, Ballard C, et al. Pharmacological profile of essential oils derived from Lavandula angustifolia and Melissa officinalis with anti-agitation properties: focus on ligand-gated channels. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2008; 60(11):1515-22.
36.  Abuhamdah S, Huang L, Elliott MS, Howes MJ, Ballard C, Holmes C, et al. Pharmacological profile of an essential oil derived from Melissa officinalis with anti-agitation properties: focus on ligand-gated channels. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2008; 60(3):377-84.
37.  Mahita M, Abuhamdah R, Howes MJ, Ennaceur A, Abuhamdah S, Chazot P. Identification of a novel GABAA receptor channel ligand derived from melissa officinalis and lavandula angustifolia essential oils. Eur J Med Plants. 2014; 4(7):810-8.
38.  Soodi M, Dashti A, Hajimehdipoor H, Akbari S, Ataei N. Melissa officinalis acidic fraction protects cultured cerebellar granule neurons against beta amyloid-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress. Cell J. 2017; 18(4):556-64.
39.  Soodi M, Naghdi N, Hajimehdipoor H, Choopani S, Sahraei E. Memory-improving activity of Melissa officinalis extract in naive and scopolamine-treated rats. Res Pharm Sci. 2014; 9(2):107-14.
40.  Ozarowski M, Mikolajczak PL, Piasecka A, Kachlicki P, Kujawski R, Bogacz A, et al. Influence of the Melissa officinalis leaf extract on long-term memory in scopolamine animal model with assessment of mechanism of action. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016; 2016:9729818.
41.  Tsai FS, Peng WH, Wang WH, Wu CR, Hsieh CC, Lin YT, et al. Effects of luteolin on learning acquisition in rats: involvement of the central cholinergic system. Life Sci. 2007; 80(18):1692-8.
42.  Tsai FS, Cheng HY, Hsieh MT, Wu CR, Lin YC, Peng WH. The ameliorating effects of luteolin on
beta-amyloid-induced impairment of water maze performance and passive avoidance in rats. Am J Chin Med. 2010; 38(2):279-91.
43.  Lu J, Zheng YL, Wu DM, Luo L, Sun DX, Shan Q. Ursolic acid ameliorates cognition deficits and attenuates oxidative damage in the brain of senescent mice induced by D-galactose. Biochem Pharmacol. 2007; 74(7):1078-90.
44.  Sabogal-Guáqueta AM, Osorio E, Cardona-Gómez GP. Linalool reverses neuropathological and behavioral impairments in old triple transgenic Alzheimer's mice. Neuropharmacology. 2016; 102:111-20.
45.  Ballard CG, O'Brien JT, Reichelt K, Perry EK. Aromatherapy as a safe and effective treatment for the management of agitation in severe dementia: the results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with Melissa. J Clin Psychiatry. 2002; 63(7):553-8.
46.  Kennedy D, Scholey AB, Tildesley N, Perry E, Wesnes K. Modulation of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm). Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2002; 72(4):953-64.
47.  Akhondzadeh S, Noroozian M, Mohammadi M, Ohadinia S, Jamshidi A, Khani M. Melissa officinalis extract in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease: a double blind, randomised, placebo controlled trial. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2003; 74(7):863-6.
48.  Heydari N, Dehghani M, Emamghoreishi M, Akbarzadeh M. Effect of Melissa officinalis capsule on the mental health of female adolescents with premenstrual syndrome: a clinical trial study. Int J Adolesc Med Health. 2018; 2018:1-6.
49.  Perry N, Menzies R, Hodgson F, Wedgewood P, Howes MJ, Brooker H, et al. A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled pilot trial of a combined extract of sage, rosemary and melissa, traditional herbal medicines, on the enhancement of memory in normal healthy subjects, including influence of age. Phytomedicine. 2018; 39:42-8.
50.  Cases J, Ibarra A, Feuillère N, Roller M, Sukkar SG. Pilot trial of Melissa officinalis L. leaf extract in the treatment of volunteers suffering from mild-to-moderate anxiety disorders and sleep disturbances. Med J Nutr Metab. 2011; 4(3):211-8.
51.  Guginski G, Luiz AP, Silva MD, Massaro M, Martins DF, Chaves J, et al. Mechanisms involved in the antinociception caused by ethanolic extract obtained from the leaves of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) in mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2009; 93(1):10-6.
Navid No
Volume 22, Issue 69
May 2019
Pages 60-71

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics