Lippia javanica (Burm.f.) Spreng.: Traditional and Commercial Uses and Phytochemical and Pharmacological Significance in the African and Indian Subcontinent

Table 1

Traditional uses of Lippia javanica in central, eastern, and southern Africa.

Use	Plant part(s) used	Mode of use	Country practised	Reference(s)
Food uses
Food additive	Leaves, twigs	Leaves and twigs boiled together with maize, cassava, groundnuts, and common tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze)	Kenya	[6]
Herbal tea	Leaves	Leaves can be sun dried for later use	Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe	[7–11]
Leafy vegetable	Leaves	Eaten as vegetable with meat or fish	India	[12, 13]
Respiratory problems
Asthma	Leaves, twigs	Decoction taken orally or smoke inhaled	South Africa, Zimbabwe	[14–17]
Blocked nose	Leaves	Leaf decoction of L. javanica alone taken orally or mixed with any of these species: Brachylaena uniflora Harv., Clausena anisata (Willd). Hook.f. ex Benth., Clematis brachiata Thunb., Combretum molle R. Br. ex G. Don, Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill, Helichrysum kraussii Sch. Bip., Krauseola mosambicina Pax & Hoffm., Plectranthus neochilus Schltr., Senecio serratuloides DC.,or Trichilia emetica Vahl taken orally	South Africa	[18]
Bronchitis	Leaves, roots, and stems	Leaf infusion of L. javanica alone taken orally or applied to skin as ointment or leaf and stem infusion of L. javanica mixed with leaves of Artemisia afra Jacq. ex Willd. taken orally	Botswana, South Africa	[15, 19–22]
Chest pains	Leaves, roots	Leaves and roots of L. javanica alone chewed or decoction taken orally or used in washes and poultices or smoke inhaled or “imbiza,” decoction prepared from L. javanica and Cyrtanthus obliquus (L. f.) Aiton, taken orally or leaf decoction of L. javanica mixed with leaves of any of these species: Brachylaena transvaalensis Hutch. ex E. Phillips & Schweick., C. brachiata, E. grandis,H. kraussii, or T. emetica taken orally or leaf juice taken orally with cloves of Allium sativum L.	Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and South Africa	[14, 18, 23–27]
Colds	Leaves, twigs	Leaf infusion of L. javanica alone taken orally or inhaled or applied as an ointment or “imbiza,” decoction prepared from L. javanica and C. obliquus, taken orally	Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, and Zimbabwe	[15, 16, 19, 21, 27–32]
Cough	Leaves, stems, and twigs	Leaves of L. javanica alone chewed or infusion inhaled or taken orally or applied as an ointment or leaf and stem infusion of L. javanica mixed with leaves of any of these species: Acanthospermum glabratum (DC.) Wild., A. afra, B. uniflora, B. transvaalensis, Bridelia cathartica Bertol., C. anisata, C. brachiata, C. molle, E. grandis, H. kraussii, K. mosambicina, P. neochilus, Psidium guajava L., S. serratuloides, Terminalia sericea Burch. ex DC., Tetradenia riparia (Hochst.) Codd, or T. emetica taken orally	Botswana, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe	[15, 16, 18–21, 26, 30, 32]
Influenza	Leaves, roots	Decoction taken orally	Mozambique, South Africa	[7, 33–36]
Lung infections	Leaves	Infusions taken orally	South Africa	[37]
Measles	Leaves, stems	Leaf decoction of L. javanica alone taken orally or body washed with infusion or leaf and stem infusion of L. javanica mixed with leaves of A. afra taken orally	Kenya, South Africa, and Zimbabwe	[14, 20, 38]
Pneumonia	Leaves	Ointment rubbed on chest and abdomen	Zimbabwe	[14]
Respiratory disorders	Leaves	Decoction taken orally	India, South Africa	[39–41]
Runny nose	Leaves, roots	Leaf and root decoction of L. javanica alone taken orally or leaf decoction of L. javanica mixed with leaves of any of these species: B. transvaalensis, B. cathartica,C. anisata, C. brachiata, E. grandis, Hypoxis spp., K. mosambicina; P. guajava, S. serratuloides, P. neochilus, or T. emetica taken orally	South Africa	[18]
Shortness of breath (dyspnoea)	Leaves	Decoction taken orally or body washed with decoction	Zimbabwe	[14]
Sore throat	Leaves	Leaf decoction of L. javanica alone taken orally or leaf decoction of L. javanica mixed with leaves of E. grandis or T. riparia taken orally	South Africa	[18]
Tonsillitis	Leaves	Leaf decoction of L. javanica alone taken orally or leaf decoction of L. javanica mixed with leaves of E. grandis taken orally	South Africa	[18]
Tuberculosis	Leaves	Leaf decoction of L. javanica alone taken orally or “imbiza,” decoction prepared from L. javanica and C. obliquus, taken orally	South Africa, Uganda	[24, 42, 43]
Gastrointestinal diseases
Amoebiasis	Leaves, twigs	Decoction taken orally	Kenya	[6]
Anthelmintics	Leaf	Infusions taken orally	South Africa	[40]
Diarrhoea	Leaves, roots	Decoction taken orally	Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa	[17, 29, 34, 37, 44]
Gangrenous rectitis	Leaves	Infusions taken orally	South Africa	[45]
Prophylactic against diarrhoea	Leaves	Infusion taken orally	South Africa	[40]
Vomiting	Leaves	Decoction taken orally	Zanzibar, Tanzania	[46]
Fever, malaria, and as insect repellent
Fever	Leaves, stems, and twigs	Leaf and twig decoction of L. javanica alone taken orally or leaf and stem infusion of L. javanica mixed with leaves of any of these species: A. afra, B. transvaalensis, C. anisata, C. molle, E. grandis,P. guajava, S. serratuloides, T. riparia, or T. emetica taken orally	South Africa, Zimbabwe	[14, 16, 18, 20]
Getting rid of lice, insects, and lice and as mosquito repellent	Leaves, twigs, and whole plant	Used in washes and poultices or as steam or sprayed or burnt to chase away mosquitoes	Ethiopia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe	[4, 26, 34, 47–51]
Malaria	Leaves, roots	Decoction taken orally	Mozambique, South Africa	[17, 33, 52]
Prophylactic against malaria	Leaves	Infusion taken orally	South Africa	[40]
Wounds, injuries, pain, and skin infections
Abdominal pains	Leaves	Leaves chewed and juice swallowed	Zimbabwe	[14]
Acne	Leaves	Not specified	Botswana	[22]
Antidotes	Roots	Used as antidote for food poisoning	Botswana	[22]
Backache	Roots	Infusion taken orally	South Africa, Zimbabwe	[14, 20]
Bleeding from the nose (epistaxis)	Leaves	Fresh leaves inserted into nose or powdered leaves sniffed	South Africa, Zimbabwe	[14, 53]
Boils	Leaves	Infusion taken orally	South Africa	[54]
Chicken pox	Leaves	Used in washes and poultices or as steam	South Africa	[50]
Earache	Leaves	Decoction taken orally mixed with leaves of E. grandis	South Africa	[18]
Febrile rashes	Leaves	Infusions taken orally	South Africa	[40]
Headache, migraine	Leaves, roots	Leaf and root decoction of L. javanica alone taken orally or leaf decoction of L. javanica mixed with leaves of any of these species: B. cathartica,C. brachiata, E. grandis, T. riparia, and T. emetica taken orally	Kenya, South Africa, and Zimbabwe	[14, 18, 33, 34, 38]
Inflammation	Leaves	Not specified	South Africa	[41]
Pubic sores	Leaves	Decoction taken orally mixed with leaves of Acanthospermum australe (Loefl.) Kuntze	Swaziland	[55]
Scabies	Leaves, roots	Infusion taken orally or used in washes and poultices or as steam	South Africa, Zimbabwe	[14, 50, 54]
Shingles	Leaves, twigs, and roots	Applied as an ointment	South Africa	[15]
Skin disorders, such as heat rash scratches, stings, and bites	Leaves, twigs	Applied as an ointment or “imbiza,” decoction prepared from L. javanica and C. obliquus, taken orally	South Africa	[21, 27]
Sores	Leaves	Decoction of L. javanica mixed with bark of Acacia burkei Benth., Ozoroa engleri R. Fern. & A. Fern., Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich.) Hochst., Syzygium cordatum Hochst. ex Krauss, and Tabernaemontana elegans Stapf taken orally	South Africa	[56]
Sore eyes, cataracts	Leaves, roots	Juice squeezed into eyes	Botswana, Zimbabwe	[14, 22]
Sprained joints	Roots	Root powder applied to scarifications around sprained joints	South Africa	[20]
Ulcers	Leaves	Juice taken orally with cloves of A. sativum	Bangladesh	[23]
Wounds	Leaves	Fresh leaves wrapped around wound to enhance healing or infusion taken orally	Kenya, South Africa	[54, 57]
Ethnoveterinary uses
Disinfecting suspected anthrax-infested meat	Whole plant	Whole plants used to disinfect suspected anthrax-infested meat	South Africa	[20]
Getting rid of ticks and other ectoparasites	Leaves, twigs, and whole plant	Crushed leaves mixed with water and sprayed, twigs used as bedding in fowl runs	South Africa, Zimbabwe	[58–60]
Lice repellant	Whole plant	Whole plant used to repel lice in poultry	India	[61]
Milk preservative	Stem	Stem applied to milk gourd before milk fermentation	Kenya	[62]
Other uses
Anaemia in pregnancy	Leaves	Decoction taken orally	Zanzibar, Tanzania	[46]
Broom	Whole plant	Whole plants cut and tied together to make rough brooms	South Africa	[53]
Cancer	Leaves	“Imbiza,” decoction prepared from L. javanica and C. obliquus, taken orally	South Africa	[27]
Ceremonial	Leaves, whole plant	Used before and after funerals or placed on patients’ bed after circumcision	Kenya, South Africa	[31, 58, 63]
Convulsions	Leaves	Leaves rubbed on face	Zimbabwe	[14, 64]
Diabetes	Leaves	“Imbiza,” decoction prepared from L. javanica and C. obliquus, taken orally	South Africa	[27]
Fatigue or tiredness	Leaves	Leaf decoction of L. javanica mixed with leaves of A. glabratum or E. grandis or T. riparia taken orally	South Africa	[18]
Fence	Whole plant	Planted around homesteads	Ethiopia	[26]
Fodder	Leaves	Leaves eaten by goats	Kenya	[31]
Fuelwood	Whole plant	Whole plant used as fuelwood	Zanzibar, Tanzania	[46]
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) symptoms	Leaves	“Imbiza,” decoction prepared from L. javanica and C. obliquus which is taken orally	South Africa	[65, 66]
Kidney problems	Root	50 g root powder boiled in 2 litres of water; patient takes a cup of this mixture once per day for 3 days	Swaziland	[67]
Madness	Leaves, whole plant	Body washed with leaf infusion	Malawi, Zimbabwe	[14, 68]
Marasmic infants	Roots	Infusions used to bath infants	South Africa, Zimbabwe	[14, 20]
Night blindness	Leaves	Face washed with infusion	Zimbabwe	[14]
Nightmares	Not specified	Not specified	Zimbabwe	[64]
Pre-, intra-, and postpartum complications	Stem, roots	Smear powder of root or stem	Kenya	[69]
Preventing odours or being used indoors to freshen air	Leaves, whole plant	Leaves sprinkled in toilets to prevent odours or whole plant placed in vase or room	Kenya, South Africa	[31, 35, 58]
Protection against dogs and crocodiles	Leaves	Leaves smeared on body	South Africa	[70]
Psychotropic behaviour	Leaves	Infusion taken orally	Swaziland	[71]
Removing bad luck	Leaves	Face and hands washed with infusion of L. javanica leaves mixed with C. molle leaves	Swaziland	[72]
Sleepless nights	Leaves	Leaf decoction of L. javanica mixed with leaves of E. grandis and T. riparia taken orally	South Africa	[18]
To drive away bad spirits	Leaves	Body washed with infusion	Zimbabwe	[14]
To prevent infants from contracting illness caused by father or mother committing adultery	Leaves	Leaves rubbed on forehead, elbows, and knees after committing adultery	Zimbabwe	[14]
Venereal diseases	Roots	Decoction taken orally	Mozambique	[44]
Weak joints	Leaves	Decoction taken orally	Zimbabwe	[14]