Written by, Renata Filiaci, MSHW

Lemon balm, from the Lamiaceae family, is a mint plant with a lemony odor that is native to southern Eurasia. Lemon balm’s most active constituents are hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, hydrocarbon terpenes (citrals a and b), and sesquiterpenes (b-caryophyllene). Lemon balm is attributable to producing many therapeutic effects, such as antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-parasitic, anti-oxidative, analgesic, and sedative. In a clinical setting, lemon balm has been used to against viruses including, herpes simplex virus 1, HIV, and avian influenza A; the components of the lemon balm plant that contribute to its antiviral activity are the volatile oil fraction of hydrocarbon terpenes and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (The Natural Standard Research Collaboration, 2005; Pizzorno & Murray, 2013).

In a study performed by Denzler, Huynh, Jacobs, and Langland (2016), the authors assessed the use of lemon balm extract against herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1) because increased use of conventional treatment is claimed as insufficient and development of conventional drug resistance. The extract is relatively nontoxic, which provided excellent results, showing that lemon balm extract at higher concentration inhibited and disrupted virion structure as it bound specifically to the viral glycoprotein B; however, lower concentrations did inhibit virion binding to the cells, as well (Denzler, Huynh, Jacobs, & Langland, 2016).

Geuenich, Goffinet, Venzke, Nolkemper, Baumann, Plinkert, Reichling, and Keppler (2008) examined lemon balm extract, accompanied by peppermint and sage extracts, against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). High concentrations of Lamiaceae family extracts displayed optimistic activity against HIV-1 fusion in T-cells, macrophages, and in ex vivo tonsil histocultures as it significantly impaired replication with no cytotoxicity to the surrounding cells and glycoproteins, in which the virus binds to. These results provided the researchers with the notion that plants of the Lamiaceae family promote inhibition of infected cells due to their antiviral compounds (Geuenich, Goffinet, Venzke, Nolkemper, Baumann, Plinkert, Reichling, & Keppler, 2008).

The main constituents of lemon balm, hydrocarbon terpenes citral a and b, influence the antiviral activity against avian influenza virus by inhibiting the replication cycle of the infection. The research evaluated by Pourghanbari, Nili, Moattari, Mohammadi, and Iraji (2016) gathered that the virus was suppressed when activated with concentrations of lemon balm at all stages of the replication cycle: pre-infection, post-infection, and simultaneous. When receiving the lemon balm extract before the infection was inoculated, it obtained the most effective results because it interfered with the cell surface proteins that the virus binds to, such as oligosaccharides or sialic acids (Pourghanbari, Nili, Moattari, Mohammadi, & Iraji, 2016).

Denzler, K., Huynh, T., Jacobs, B., & Langland, B. (2016, April 30). Melissa officinalis Extract Inhibits Herpes Simplex Virus-I Glycoprotein B Interaction with Heparin Sulfate. Retrieved from http://herbal-medicine.imedpub.com/melissa-officinalis-extract-inhibits-herpessimplex-virusi-glycoprotein-b-interactionwith-heparin-sulfate.php?aid=9161

Geuenich, S., Goffinet, C., Venzke, S., Nolkemper, S., Baumann, I., Plinkert, P., Reichling, J., & Keppler, O. (2008). Aqueous extracts from peppermint, sage and lemon balm leaves display potent anti-HIV-1 activity by increasing the virion density. Retrovirology, 5(27). https://doi.org/10.1186/1742-4690-5-27

Pizzorno, J. E. & Murray, M. T. (2013). Textbook of Natural Medicine (4th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Inc.

Pourghanbari, G., Nili, H., Moattari, A., Mohammadi, A., & Iraji, A. (2016). Antiviral activity of the oseltamivir and Melissa officinalis L. essential oil against avian influenza A virus (H9N2). VirusDisease, 27(2), 170–178. http://doi.org/10.1007/s13337-016-0321-0

The Natural Standard Research Collaboration. (2005). Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalisL.):An Evidence-Based Systematic Review. Journal of Herbal Pharmacotherapy, 5(4), 71-114. doi:10.1300/J157v05n04_0871