Vol. 26:01

Hyssop
Hippocrates recommended this herb for inflammation of the chest and throat.

Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) is an aromatic perennial native to southern Europe and some temperate regions of Asia. It also grows in the U.S., most likely arriving with European immigrants more than 100 years ago. Today, France is the major producer of Hyssop. The plant grows from 1? feet in height and produces blue, red and white flowers. The flowering tops of hyssop are collected in August and dried in the sun.

The name "hyssop" is derived from the Hebrew "ezob" meaning "holy herb." The use of hyssop as an herbal remedy dates back to Biblical times. In fact, it is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments as a cleansing agent (although these references may be to other species of hyssop such as Origanum aegypticum or to Origanum syriacum, rather than H. officinalis).^1,2

Hyssop has been prescribed for a multitude of medical conditions. It is known as an antispasmodic, expectorant, emmenagogue (i.e., an agent that induces or increases menstrual flow), stimulant and tonic. It is used for cough, bronchitis and chronic catarrh, and has a tonic effect on the digestive, urinary, nervous and bronchial systems.^1,3 Culpeper recommended allowing the hot vapors of a hyssop decoction to reach the ear by means of a funnel to ease inflammation and tinnitus. He also prescribed hyssop boiled in wine and vinegar for bruises (although he was unclear if this solution could be used internally as well as externally).⁴ Both the alcoholic extract and decoction have antifungal effects and inhibit sweating.⁵

There are many nonmedical uses of hyssop as well. The flowers and leaves can be used as flavoring agents in teas, tonics and candy, and as a spice in cooking. Liqueur manufacturers use hyssop as an important constituent of bitter aperitifs like Chartreuse. In addition, the essential oil has been used in perfumes, colognes, soaps, creams and other cosmetics.

Chemical Constituents

Several chemical constituents of hyssop have been identified. Terpenoids with known pharmacological actions that are found in hyssop include marrubiin, ursolic acid and oleanolic acid. Marrubiin, a bitter diterpenoid, is released when the herb is cooked. It irritates the lining of the throat, causing an expectorant action. Marrubiin also increases the production of bile in laboratory animals.² Ursolic acid was found to induce apoptosis in human leukemia cells. This effect may have been a result of enhanced intracellular Ca²⁺ levels, since lowering the intracellular Ca²⁺ level by different agents inhibits the apoptotic action of ursolic acid.⁶ The antiproliferative action of ursolic acid was also indicated in a mouse melanoma cell line.⁷ Both oleanolic acid and ursolic acid have recognized anti-inflammatory and antihyperlipidemic properties. The volatile oil of hyssop is composed of camphor, pinacaphone, thujone, isopinocamphone, alpha- and beta-pinene, alpha terpinene, linalool, and bornylacetate.

Flavonoids found in hyssop, including diosmin and hesperidin, are intensively studied for their antioxidant actions and their role in chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Daflon 500 (a mixture of diosmin [90%] and hesperidin [10%]) proved to be effective in decreasing glycation in type I diabetic patients.^8,9 Other characteristic compounds identified in hyssop are hyssopin (a glucoside), caffeic acid, tannins 5%?%, and resin.

Physiologic Activity and Therapeutic Uses

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The infusion has an agreeable flavor and is often used by herbalists to treat pulmonary diseases. Hyssop is commonly combined with horehound to ease sore throats, and to treat asthma and bronchitis. Acute inflammatory conditions of the respiratory system are best treated with herbs that soothe the inflamed tissue rather than strong expectorants. This approach of cough therapy can rapidly ameliorate symptoms and shorten the duration of respiratory illness. A basic herbal tea for cough would contain coltsfoot (Tusslago farfara), marshmallow (Althea officinalis), hyssop (H. officinalis), licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) and aniseed (Pimpinella anisum).¹⁰

There are many possible variations of the herbal formula, depending on herbal tradition and the actual respiratory problem. In addition to these herbal remedies, avoiding air pollution, chemical irritants and smoking (both active and passive) can significantly improve recovery time from respiratory problems.

Hyssop is proving to have other therapeutic uses as well. Numerous laboratories are testing various medicinal plants that would interfere with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) at different stages of replication. Early studies showed that crude extracts of hyssop produced antiviral activity against herpes simplex and HIV-1. Kreis et al. concluded that the antiviral activity might result from the caffeic acid content or its derivative. Hyssop leaf extract also proved to be useful in the treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma.¹¹ Another research team identified a polysaccharide (MAR-10) that is also a potential agent for the treatment of patients with HIV-1 infection.¹² The polysaccharide MAR-10 exhibited strong HIV-1 activity in several assay systems and had no toxic or inhibitory effect on lymphocyte proportions and function.

Toxicity

A few cases of toxicity resulting from ingestion of hyssop's essential oil have been reported. The clinical symptoms of hyssop toxicity include convulsive seizures that resemble epileptic fits and vomiting, and may develop within a few minutes to two hours. The commercially available essential oil of hyssop contains pinocamphone and isopinocamphone, which may be responsible for the neurotoxicity; injections of relatively low dosages of these drugs (0.02 mL/kg) proved to be lethal in rats.^13,14

Precautions

Although hyssop is generally recognized as a safe herbal remedy, natural flavor or cosmetic product, it should be avoided in pregnancy or hypertension. Long-term use should be discussed with a healthcare professional. Small children should avoid use due to the possible danger of seizures. Patients with seizure disorders should not use hyssop in any form.

Dosage and Preparations

The recommended dosage is 2? g of dried herb infused in boiling water. The patient should drink this preparation three times a day. From liquid extract 1:1 in 25% alcohol, or from tincture 1:5 in 45% alcohol the recommended dosages are from 2? mL. It also comes in a capsule form of 450 mg, given once a day as a digestion aid. Other preparations include lozenges, foam bath gel, cleansing cream and moisturizing cream.

Issue date: July 2001

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References

1. Brown, D. Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley Pub. (1995). NY: Pharmaceutical Products Press; 1994.
2. Tyler VE. Herbs of Choice: The Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicinals. Binghamton.
3. Hoffmann D. Therapeutic herbalism. A correspondence course in phytotherapy. 1995(4)64-65.
4. Culpeper's Complete Herbal, Hyssop. pp129 Foulsham & Co Ltd. 1995.
5. Varga E, Hajdu ZS, et al. Investigation of production biological and chemical variation of Hyssopus officinalis. Acta Pharmaceutica 1998;68:183-186.
6. Baek JH, Lee YS, et al. Intracellular Ca²⁺ release mediates ursolic acid-induced apoptosis in human leukemic HL-60 cells. Int J Cancer 1997;73(5):725-728.
7. Es-saady D, Simon A, et al. Inhibitory effect of ursolic acid on B16 proliferation through cell cycle arrest. Cancer Lett 1996;106(2):193-197.
8. Manuel Y, Keenoy B, Vertommen J, et al. The effect of flavonoid treatment on the glycation and antioxidant status in Type I diabetic patients. Diabetes Nutr Metab 1999;12(4):256-63.
9. Janet G. RELIEF study: First consolidated European data. Reflux assessment and quality of life improvement with micronized flav-onoids. Angiology 2000;51(1):31-7.
10. Hoffmann DL. Therapeutic Herbalism. A correspondence course in phytotherapy. 1995(2)57-59.
11. Kreis W, Kaplan MH, et al. Inhibition of HIV replication by Hyssopus officinalis extract. Antiviral Research 1990;14:323-37.
12. Gollapudi S, Sharma HA, et al. Isolation of previously unidentified polysaccharide (MAR10) from Hyssop officinalis that exhibits strong activity against human immunodeficiency virus type I. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 1995;210:140-51.
13. Burkard PR, et al. Plant-induced seizures: Reappearance of an old problem. J Neurol 1999;246:557-670.
14. Millet Y, et al. Toxicity of some essential oils. Clinical and experimental study. Clinical Toxicology 1981;18(12):1481-1498.