Lovage 449
Lovage promotes menstruation and relieves menstrual pains. It also improves circulation.
An infusion of lovage leaves used to be accounted a good emmenagogue (Grieve,
1984).
The roots, leaves and seeds are used internally in the treatment of disordered
stomach, especially cases of colic and flatulence in children, feverish attacks, kidney
stones, tonsillitis, and cystitis (Bown, 1995). The roots are externally used in the
treatment of sore throats, hemorrhoids and skin ulcers. Lovage is helpful in treating
jaundice, chronic constipation and skin diseases. It can also relieve inflammation of
the eyes (Chevallier, 1996).
In aromatherapy it is used to alleviate conditions of the muscles, joints and circulation,
and also the digestive and genito-urinary systems. Today, lovage root is occasionally
used in digestive formulations in capsules, tablets, and tea ingredients, however, the
use of lovage as a herb has cavests (Leung and Foster, 1996). It is not recommended
for pregnant women, as it is known to promote the onset of menstruation. People
suffering from kidney disease should not use this herb either, due to its irritant effect,
which in excessive doses can cause kidney damage. Herbalists usually prescribe it in
admixture with other drugs (Evans, 2002).
In recent years, the medicinal properties of some chemical constituents of lovage
were investigated. Two constituents of lovage, butylphthalide and ligustilide, have
been shown to have antispasmodic and antiasthmatic actions (Bisset, 1994). The
phthalides have been reported to be sedative in mice, and some coumarins have been
associated with a phototoxic reaction in humans as well as being useful in treating
psoriasis (Bruneton, 1999). Phototoxic reactions are fairly common, ranging from a
simple erythema to blisters. Lovage extracts and essential oil have been shown to
have strong diuretic effects on mice and rabbits (List and Horhammer, 1976; Leung
and Foster, 1996). Lovage has been indicated for pedal edema in humans and to
dissolve phlegm in the respiratory tract (Bisset, 1994).
Bioactivity of lovage oil has been investigated by Hogg (2001) and dosages of oil
of 40 ppm has a value for potential use in antitumor research; 1 ppm as a pesticide
has been reported. In the study by Zheng and Wang (2001), the antioxidant capacity
(oxygen radical absorbance capacity, ORAC) and total phenolic contents in extract of
lovage was determined. The ORAC value and total phenolic content were 21.54 mmol
of Trolox equivalent (TE)/g of fresh weight and 2.63 mg of gallic acid equivalents
(GAE)/g of fresh weight, respectively.
The essential oil of lovage seeds has been shown to have antibacterial effects
against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, i.e., Bacillus subtilis ATCC 9372,
Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 15753, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923,
Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas
aeruginosa ATCC 27852, and Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 3583 (Table 26.3). The
oils indicated high activity against tested Gram-positive bacteria especially, Bacillus
subtilis that was more sensitive than others and a Gram-negative bacterium, Escherichia
coli. The antibacterial activitiy of the oils has also been determined by measuring the
minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against tested bacteria (Table 26.3). The
essential oils of mature and ripened seeds exhibited the highest activity against Bacillus
subtilis with MIC value of 0.93 mg/ml. Also high sensitivity of Staphylococcus
epidermidis to the mature seed oil was observed with a MIC value of 0.93 mg/ml.
The oils showed lowest activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas
aeruginosa, with MIC values more than 15 mg/ml.