An excellent honeybee that gives nectar in large quantities. Flowering melissa medicinal from July to September.
Widespread in the Caucasus, southern parts of the European part of the USSR and Central Asia. It grows among bushes and along forest edges. Melissa medicinalis has been introduced into culture.
Melissa leaves and shoot tops collected at the beginning of flowering are used. The odor of fresh raw material is lemony.
Chemical composition
.Melissa herb contains trace to 0.33% essential oil (depending on where it grows) with a strong lemony odor. The essential oil contains citral, citronellal, myrcene and geraniol. Ascorbic acid (up to 150 mg%), resin, bitterness, a little mucus are also found in the herb. Melissa leaves contain about 5% condensed tannins, the nature of which is still poorly understood, caffeic, oleanic and ursolic acids. Fatty oil (20%) was found in the seeds.
Action and application
.Melissa essential oil is low in toxicity and has sedative effects. There are data on the favorable effect of melissa preparations in patients with heart disease: disappears shortness of breath, stops attacks of tachycardia, relieves pain in the heart area. When taken internally, there is a slowing of breathing, a decreased heart rate and a drop in blood pressure.
In Bulgaria, the herb melissa medicinal is used as an antispasmodic, analgesic, sedative of the nervous system, appetite stimulant, reliever of colic caused by gas retention and antiemetic. Recommended for nervous weakness, migraines, insomnia, increased sexual excitability, painful menstruation, skin rashes. Externally, the infusion is used for poultices and compresses for boils and rinses for inflammation of the gums.
Externally for massages and rubs use an alcoholic infusion of herbs (1:5), and inside - an infusion of 8-10 g of crushed herbs, poured 500 ml of boiling water, kept for half an hour in a well-closed container (daily dose), infusion for poultices and compresses are prepared from a double amount of raw materials.
According to French experts, the medicinal melissa has antispasmodic, sedative, heart muscle strengthening, wound healing, central nervous system stimulating properties. In addition, melissa has a favorable effect on the stomach, on the brain, especially in nervous spasms, dizziness and tinnitus. This plant is the basis for tea. It is used as an infusion of 25-50 g per 1000 ml of boiling water, 200 ml 3-4 times a day.
In the monograph of Austrian scientist Neuthaler (1964) in the section "Herbal Pharmacy" melissa medicinal is recommended for home medicine cabinet in the form of freshly prepared infusion. The author has observed that melissa regulates the gastrointestinal tract, especially for intestinal bloating, and has a calming property.
In Poland, melissa herb is widely used as a sedative and as an analog of valerian root.
The leaves of the medicinal lemon balm are official in most countries of the world, while the tops of the plant are official only in Italy (Clan).
In folk medicine, melissa medicinalis is used as an anticonvulsant, analgesic and cardiac remedy. Infusion of leaves and shoot tops with flowers are taken for poor digestion, shortness of breath, asthma, various neuralgias, insomnia, anemia, painful menstruation, as a laxative and diaphoretic.
In Ukraine, melissa is used for women's diseases, why it is called there "matochnik".
In the folk medicine of Central Asia leaves of melissa in the form of decoction are used in anemia, digestive disorders, to strengthen the nervous system and improve heart function and as a diuretic, infusion - with palpitations, hysterical seizures, dizziness, delayed menstruation, gout, stomach aches.
Ibn-Sina used the herb molasses as a remedy to improve heart function and aid digestion.
Melissa essential oil is used in the pharmaceutical industry for flavoring medicines due to its strong lemon scent.
Melissa herb is used for the preparation of liqueurs "Chartreuse", "Benedictine", the famous Russian tincture "Yerofeich" (Timoshenko, 1940).
Our medicinal melissa is used as a sedative..
