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 Botany
Hierba buena is a prostrate, smooth , much-branched, usually purplish, strongly
aromatic herb, with stems growing up to 40 cm long, with ultimate ascending terminal
branches. Leaves are elliptic to oblong-ovate, 1.5 to 4cms long,
short-petioled with toothed margins, and rounded or blunt tipped. Flowers are hairy and purplish to bluish, borne in axillary headlike whorls. Calyx teeth are triangular or lanceolate and hairy; the corolla is also hairy.
Distribution
Introduced by the Spaniards.
Widely cultivation to some extent in all parts of the Philippines.
Thrives well at high elevations; rarely flowers in lowlands.
Constituents
- Plant yields a volatile oil (0.22%) containing pulegone, menthol, menthene,
menthenone and limonene.
- Study showed the shoot leaf gave the highest yield of oil, 0.62%; while the stems had negligible yield. Menthol was the major component of all the oils. Other oils identified were: B-caryophyllene oxide, a-phellandrene, terpinolene, limonene, menthone and pulegone.
Properties
Carminative, stimulant, stomachic,
aromatic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, sudorific, emmenagogue.
Oil is rubefacient and stimulant.
Tops and leaves are carminative.
Parts utilized
Leaves and stems.
Uses
Nutritional
Cultivated as a spice
for cooking.
Leaves used for tea.
Folkloric
One of the oldest household
remedies known.
Carminative, stimulant, aromatic, emmenagogue.
Crushed or bruised leaves for insect bites.
Decoction and infusion of leaves and stems used for fever, stomach aches,
dysmenorrhea, and diuresis.
Pounded leaves for insect bites, fevers, toothaches, headaches.
For dizziness: Crushed fresh plants or leaves are sniffed.
Powdered dried plant as dentrifice.
Headaches: Crushed leaves are applied on the forehead
and temples.
Toothaches: (1) Wet a small piece of cotten with juice
expressed from crushed leaves; apply this impregnated cotton bud to
the tooth. (2) Boil 6 tbsp. of leaves in two glasses of water for 15
minutes; strain and cool. Divide the decoction into 2 parts and take
every 3 to 4 hours.
Flatulence: Boil 4 tbsp of chopped leaves in 1 cup water
for five minutes; strain. Drink the decoction while lukewarm. Facilitates
expulsion of flatus.
Cough: Boil 6 tbsp of chopped leaves in 2 glasses of water for
15 mins; cool and strain. Divide the decoctioninto three parts; take
1 part 3 times a day.
Arthritis: Warm fresh leaves over low flame; then pound.
Apply pounded leaves while warm on the painful joints or muscles.
Mouthwash: Soak 2 tbsp chopped leaves in 1 glass of
hot water for 30 minutes; strain. Use the infusion as mouthwash.
Others
Peppermint oil is often used in pharmaceutical preparations to subdue
unpleasant medicinal smells.
Common flavoring in confections and dentrifices.
Studies
• Radioprotective:
Study of mint extract on mice showed benefit with pretreatment
of mice with reduction in the severity of symptoms of radiation sickness
and mortality.
• Anti-candida:
A study of essential oils and ethanolic extracts of leaves/roots of
35 medicinal plants in Brazil screened for anti-Candida activity. Mentha
arvensis was one of 13 essential oils that showed anti-candidal activity.
• Anti-fertility
(1) A study of the ether extract of MA on male mice showed
reduction of number of offspring, with decrease in testes weight, sperm
count and motility, among others. Results suggest that the ether extract
of MA possess reversible antifertility properties. (2) Stiudy of aqueous extract solution in male mice caused inhibition of fertility while maintaining normal sexual behaviour. All induced effects returned to normalcy within 30 days of withdrawal of 60-day treatment.
• Post-coital Antifertility Effect:
A study on the uterotonic fraction of MA caused significant interruption
in pregnancy in rats, pronounced in the post-implantation period.
• Antibiotic Resistance-Modifying:
(1) A report on the ethanol extract of MA showed a potentiating effect of
the extract on gentamicin and presents a potential against bacterial
resistance to antibiotics. (2) Study showed extracts of M arvensis could be used as a source of plant-derived natural products with resistance-modifying activity, wuch as in the case of aminoglycosides - a new weapon against bacterial resistance to antibiotics, as with chlorpromazine.
• Anti-Gastric Ulcer:
Study of various extracts of Mentha arvensis showed a protective effect against acid secretion and gastric ulcers in ibuprofen plus pyloric ligation-induced and 90% ethanol-induced ulcer models.
• Herbal Liniment / Analgesic:
M arvensis provides potent analgseic action and is used externally in rheumatism, neuralgia and headaches. In an herbal liniment where it was combined with four other medicinal plants, the liniment was found effective in ligament or muscle injury pain (sprains, strains, spasms, tennis elbow, etc), less so in osteoarthritis of the joint and periarthritis of the shoulder. No adverse reactions were reported. Efficacy was noted better in synergism with oral or parenteral analgesics.
• Volatile Constituents / Menthol: Study showed the shoot leaf gave the highest yield of oil, 0.62%; while the stems had negligible yield. Menthol was the major component of all the oils. Other oils identified were: B-caryophyllene oxide, a-phellandrene, terpinolene, limonene, menthone and pulegone.
• Linarin / Anti-Acetylcholinesterase: Flowers extract of M arvensis yielded linarin (acacetin-7-0-b-D-rutinoside), with selective dose-dependent inhibitory effect on acetylcholinesterase.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
Commercially: Analgesic tablets, tea.
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