Have you ever heard of Helichrysum? If not, you are not alone.
That's why we dive into discovering the incredible potential that Helichrysum has to offer.
Read on to learn more about this amazing plant and how it can help improve your life!
What is Helichrysum?
Helichrysum is a flower that belongs to the family of Asteraceae and is native to several Mediterranean countries and some areas of South Africa.
It introduces itself in many different varieties, including Helichrysum italicum (also known as Immortelle) which is perhaps the most popular variety due to its strong aroma and rich yellow-orange color and from which we extract the essential oil here in Santa Bianca.
The flowers are often dried for use in herbal teas or medicinal applications, but can also be used fresh.
Helichrysum Italicum
Angiosperms
Compositae
Helichrysum
the traditional use of helichrysum
Helichrysum is a flowering plant with a long history of medicinal use. The essential oil derived from helichrysum It has numerous beneficial properties.
Its traditional applications are vast: historically, it has been used to promote wound healing, reduce the appearance of scars and stretch marks, relieve muscle pain and spasms, and even ease the symptoms of respiratory illnesses. Additionally, many people turn to the topical application of Helichrysum essential oil as a natural moisturizer and beauty aid that can help make the skin appear smoother, brighter, and more youthful.
Helichrysum, otherwise known as Immortelle or Everlasting owes its name to the union of the two Greek words Helios (sun) and Chrysos (gold) as its flower has beautiful golden flower heads of a lovely sunny yellow.
edited by Dr. Matteo Politi
the beneficial activities of helichrysum
Pharmacological activity
In the Mediterranean region, helichrysum has been used in folk medicine for centuries as a cure for many ailments and diseases (toothache, digestive disorders, cough, cold, laryngitis, skin diseases, alopecia, dermatomycosis, liver and bile disorders, bronchitis, allergies, insomnia, headache and herpes)4; in several cases, scientific studies have also proven many of these activities.5
There are currently no clinical studies on Helichrysum essential oil, while some pharmacological properties evaluated by means of in vitro tests are reported in the literature.
Antimicrobial activity
Helichrysum essential oil has been shown to be a good antibacterial agent against a wide range of bacteria at low concentrations and short incubation times.6 Further studies confirm this type of biological activity.7,8 For the essential oil obtained from the subspecies microphyllum Antifungal activity has also been confirmed.9
Anti-aging activities
The anti-aging properties were tested through in vitro assays measuring the inhibitory effects of Helichrysum essential oil on enzymes collagenase and elastase.10
Anti-acetylcholinesterase activity
Testing for anti-acetylcholinesterase activity is relevant for potential pharmacological applications including the development of active substances against memory disorders. Helichrysum essential oil has been found to be particularly active in in-vitro tests for this type of pharmacological activity.11
bibliography
- Paolini J, Desjobert JM, Costa J, et al. Composition of essential oils of Helichysum italicum (Roth) G. Don fil subsp. italicum from Tuscan archipelago islands. Flavour Fragrance J. 2006;21:805–808. doi:10.1002/ffj.1726
- Leonardi M, Ambryszewska KE, Melai B, et al. Essential-oil composition of helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don ssp. italicum from Elba Island (Tuscany, Italy). Chem Biodivers. 2013;10:343-355. doi:10.1002/cbdv.201200222
- Bianchini A, Tomi P, Costa J, Bernardini AF. Composition of Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don fil. subsp. italicum essential oils from Corsica (France). Flavour Fragrance J. 2001;16:30–34. doi:10.1002/1099-1026(200101/02)16:1<30::AID-FFJ941>3.0.CO;2-F
- Ninčević T, Grdiša M, Šatović Z, Jug-Dujaković M. Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don: Taxonomy, biological activity, biochemical and genetic diversity. Ind Crops Prod. 2019;138:111487. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2019.111487
- Antunes Viegas D, Palmeira-De-Oliveira A, Salgueiro L, Martinez-De-Oliveira J, Palmeira-De-Oliveira R. Helichrysum italicum: From traditional use to scientific data. J Ethnopharmacol. 2014;151:54–65. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2013.11.005
- Cui H, Zhao C, Lin L. Antibacterial Activity of Helichrysum italicum Oil on Vegetables and Its Mechanism of Action. J Food Process Preserv. 2015;39:2663–2672. doi:10.1111/jfpp.12516
- Mastelic J, Politeo O, Jerkovic I, Radosevic N. Composition and antimicrobial activity of Helichrysum italicum essential oil and its terpene and terpenoid fractions. Chem Nat Compd. 2005;41(1):35-40. doi:10.1007/s10600-005-0069-z
- Staver MM, Gobin I, Ratkaj I, et al. In vitro Antiproliferative and Antimicrobial Activity of the Essential Oil from the Flowers and Leaves of Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don Growing in Central Dalmatia (Croatia). J Essent Oil-Bearing Plants. 2018;21(1):77-91. doi:10.1080/0972060X.2018.1433071
- Angioni A, Barra A, Arlorio M, et al. Chemical composition, plant genetic differences, and antifungal activity of the essential oil of Helichrysum italicum G. Don ssp. microphyllum (Willd) Nym. J Agric Food Chem. 2003;51(4):1030–1034. doi:10.1021/jf025940c
- Fraternale D, Flamini G, Ascrizzi R. In Vitro Anticollagenase and Antielastase Activities of Essential Oil of Helichrysum italicum subsp. italicum (Roth) G. Don. J Med Food. 2019;22(10):1041-1046. doi:10.1089/jmf.2019.0054
- Talić S, Odak I, Bevanda AM, Crnjac N, Paštar M. Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don subsp. Italicum from Herzegovina: Volatile composition, variations during seasons, total polyphenols, acetylcholinesterase inhibition and antioxidant activity. Croatian Chem Acta. 2019;92(1):69–77. doi:10.5562/cca3475