Vervain, also known as verbena, Verbena officinalis, and herb of the cross, is a perennial herb native to Europe and Asia (1).
The plant belongs to the Verbenaceae family and has lobed, toothed leaves, and silky, pale-purple flowers. It’s used throughout the world as an herbal remedy because of the multiple beneficial compounds it contains.
Vervain contains over 20 beneficial plant compounds, including iridoid glycosides, flavonoids, and triterpenoids, which may be responsible for its purported benefits .
May possess antitumor effects
In a mouse study, high doses of vervain extract of 18 grams per pound (40 grams per kg) of body weight inhibited tumor growth by more than 30%, compared with controls.
Researchers attributed this anti-tumor activity to verbenosides A and B — two types of glycosides — and triterpenoids (3Trusted Source).
Additionally, citral — a key component in vervain essential oil — possesses proven anticancer effects that cause programmed cell death .
One test-tube study found that a concentration of 0.01% vervain essential oil increased the death of rogue immune cells obtained from those with chronic lymphocytic leukemia from 15–52%, suggesting that it may be useful for the development of new therapeutic agents'
Nonetheless, human research is needed to verify these claims.
