Lemongrass: a Review on Its Botany, Properties, Applications and Active Components
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See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336134806 Lemongrass: a review on its botany, properties, applications and active components Article · January 2016 CITATIONS READS 0 650 4 authors, including: Rafia Rehman Shafaq Nisar Government College University Faisalabad University of Agriculture Faisalabad 63 PUBLICATIONS 77 CITATIONS 42 PUBLICATIONS 31 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: essential oils View project Evaluation of the effects of Zinc on the chemical composition and biological activity of basil essential oil by using Raman spectroscopy View project All content following this page was uploaded by Rafia Rehman on 26 October 2019. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. IJCBS, 9(2016):79-84 International Journal of Chemical and Biochemical Sciences (ISSN 2226-9614) Journal Home page: www.iscientific.org/Journal.html © International Scientific Organization Lemongrass: a review on its botany, properties, applications and active components Mahouachi Wifek1, Asma Saeed2, Rafia Rehman2 and Shafaq Nisar2* 1Laboratory of management and valorisation of forest resources, Institut National de la Recherche en Génie Rural, Eaux et Forêts (INRGREF)- University of Carthage, Ariana, Tunisia and 2Department of Chemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan Abstract Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus), is a member of poaceae family. It is a medicinal plant with compounds capable of controlling pathogens and increasing herbal resistance to pathogenic diseases. Lemongrass is widely used in the herbal teas and other non-alcoholic beverages in baked food, and also in the confections. Essential oil from the lemongrass is commonly used as a fragrance in the perfumes and cosmetics, such as creams and soaps. Lemon grass essential oil is comprised of a high content of citral, which is used as a source for the production of beta carotene and vitamin A etc. Hence, due to the presence of various chemical constituents present in lemon grass oil, it uses in different pharmaceutical industries for its anti-depressant, analgesic, antipyretic, bactericidal, anti-septic, carminative and astringent properties. Key words: Poaceae, Citral, Cosmetics, Vitamin A, Analgesic Full length article *Corresponding Author, e-mail: [email protected], Tel: +923237628206 1. Introduction Citral is one of the significant ingredients of the oil present Lemon grass is a tall plant having enormous striped in a few species of Cymbopogon with huge modern uses, for leaves with an uneven edge. It is known for its smoky, example, crude material for vitamin A, confectionery and sweet, herbaceous and lemony fragrance. Cymbopogon perfumery [7]. It grows a bit of the tropics by tucking a flexuosus is broadly utilized in preparation of soups curries group of lemongrasses into a pot or nursery bed. This herb and teas. This herb contains calming character. Lemon grass brings the textural magnificence and development of a fancy (Cymbopogan flexuosus) is native sweet-smelling tall sedge. grass to the nursery, alongside one extra feature: lemony It is a member of the family Poaceae. It grows in numerous leaves with a trace of ginger. It leaves the ground when parts of the tropical and sub-tropical South East Asia and warm nights arrive. It looks for new stalks to rise. Combine Africa. Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus), is a grass lemongrass with chile peppers, garlic and cilantro for the native to Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka [1] . In Pakistan, it makings of Asian and Thai cooking. In cold regions, a stalk is in Nothern areas, Gilgit and Juglote cropping in seasons. is digin late summer and spots it into a pot to develop inside In India Western Ghats (Kerala, Maharashtra), Karnataka through winter. Cymbopogon citratus a herb which is and the Tamil Nadu states other than foot slopes of the known throughout world as lemon grass is widely used as a Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh [2]. Cymbopogon citrates, is source of medicines in tropical countries [8]. Plant leaves generally known as Lemongrass is a tall perennial grass. It are utilized as tea and is generally used in Brazil as belongs to the genus Cymbopogon of aromatic grasses and analgesic, antipyretic, spasmolytic, tranquilizer, anti- contains essential oils with the fine lemon flavor. In Asia inflammatory and diuretic and. This plant contains 1–2% Lemongrass is widely used as essential component for essential oil on a dry base. The chemical composition of the health. In India it is use as sedatives for the central nervous lemon brass oil (LGO) broadly different due to its genetic system [3]. The Cymbopogon essential oils are characterized diversity, habitat and the agronomic treatment of this plant by the monoterpene constituents like limonene, citral, [2]. Lemon grass essential oil is comprised up of a high elemol, citronellal, 1,8 cineole, citronellol, linalool, geraniol, content of citral (geranial and neutral isomers), which is methylheptenone, b-carophyllene, geranylformate and used as a source for the production of beta carotene and geranyl acetic acid derivation. Chemical characterization of vitamin A etc. Antimicrobial action of LGO is used for essential oils is generally done with the use of GC-MS [4-6]. various pathogenic fungi [9]. Lemon grass is a native Wifek et al., 2016 79 IJCBS, 9(2016):79-84 tropical Asia and now-a-days it grows worldwide. Because various food products. In addition to its attractive citric of its slight citrus flavor, dried and fresh leaves of the taste, lemongrass essential oils have demonstrated its lemongrass are common ingredients of the Asian cuisine in powerful antimicrobial potential, thus being susceptible for curries, teas and soups, it also suitable for the poultry, incorporation into the food products. Though, food products seafood and fish. This herb is widely consumed as an still present some limitations. Its intense, persistent aroma aromatic herb Latin and African countries. In addition, its greatly impacts the organic leptical characteristics and the aerial components are widely utilized in folk medicine for consumer acceptance of food [15]. This presents the treatment of digestive disorders, diabetes, nervous toxicological effect at higher dose [16]. Thus, there is a need disorder, inflammation and fever [10]. Functional to lower the concentration of essential oil incorporated into lemongrass components have been recognized in recent the food products to avoid toxicological effects, consumer years. A strong contribution to the antioxidant and anti- rejection, and to take into account the economic aspects inflammatory characteristics of an important oil-free [17]. lemongrass infusion has been recognized as mono-and 2. History polymeric flavonoid, such as apigenin glycosides, luteolin Lemon grass, a perenbial plant commonly grown in and and proantho cyanidins [11]. Mono-and polymer the sub-tropics and tropics, designates two different species, flavonoids, such as luteolin and apigenin glycosides and West Indian, Cymbopogon citrates and East Indian, proanthocyanidins, have been recognized which have Cymbopogon flexuosus. Various species of the lemon grass contributed significantly to the antioxidant and anti- are native to the South East Asia, South Asia and Australia. inflammatory characteristics of vital oil-free lemongrass That is why it is called as the tropical Asia East Indian infusions. The actions and the molecular mechanisms of lemon grass. (Cymbopogon flexuosus) also known as the purified phenolic compounds are responsible for the anti- Cochin or Malabar grass and is native to Sri Lanka, India, inflammatory activity of lemon grass. Medicinal plants Thailand and Burma and for the associated West Indian playa an important role in the health societies. The recovery lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus). Both these species are of the practices and knowledge associated with medicinal today cultivated throughout [18]. In Philippines, Lemon plant resources are part of an important strategy related to grass was being distilled for export as early as 17th century. conservation of the biodiversity, findings of the new The first samples of closely related citernolla oil were medicines, and for the bettering of quality of life of the rural displayed at world’s fair at London crystal place in 1951. It communities. Cymbopogon (family: Poaceae) genus is a favorite oil in India for many years and is known locally comprises of about 120 species. It grows in the sub-tropical as “choomana polu” which refers to the plant red grass stem and tropical regions of the world due to its wide uses in the [19]. Indigenous Australians used citrus fruit to make a cosmetics, food, pharmaceutical, agriculture and flavor drink and use for washing of skin cuts and eyes [20]. The industries. Large scale cultivation of Cymbopogon grasses lemongrasses are commercially cultivated in the India, occurs in the sub-tropics and tropics. Due to the presence of Guatemala, Paraguay, and the People's Republic of China, higher content of aldehyde Cymbopogon citratus possesses Sri Lanka, England and the other parts of Africa, Indochina, lemony odor. It has two geometric isomers, neral (citral-b) South America and Central America. The plants are grown and geranial (citral a) [12]. Generally, without the other one in the dense clumps up to 2m in diameter and up to 1m long isomer does not arise. Besides citral, the essential oils of the leaves. This