As well as being a fragrant and visually appealing plant, lemon myrtle is known for its remarkable therapeutic properties, making it an invaluable addition to industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to cosmetics.
For those of us who prefer not to rely on capsules and tablets when administering herbal medicines, taste and patient compliance is always a potential problem and we are constantly looking for ways to improve the taste of herbal formulations.
Citral, an aliphatic aldehyde in the monoterpenoid class, is found in plants like lemon grass (Cymbopogon) and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). It is composed of two isometric aldehydes: neral and geraniol. Citral exhibits various therapeutic properties including sedative, anti-viral, and anti-fungal effects. Additionally, citral is believed to have anti-tumor properties, though studies on this are inconclusive.
The leaves of Lemon Myrtle contain 0.33 – 0.86% essential oil, predominantly composed of citral. There are two distinct forms of Backhousia citriodora: one with an oil rich in citral and the other with oil primarily consisting of laevo-citronellal, which is highly valued in the perfume and insect repellent industries. Interestingly, this oil is chemically similar to that of Eucalyptus citriodora.
The essential oil of Lemon Myrtle is particularly beneficial for:
Lemon Myrtle can also be used freely as a taste corrective in herbal preparations.
There are no reported toxic effects of Lemon Myrtle. While citral can cause skin sensitization in some individuals, studies by Tisserand indicate that the oil of lemon grass, which contains up to 85% citral, does not produce skin sensitivity. This suggests that the oil of Backhousia citriodora is similarly safe, especially in teas and tinctures.
