Cymbopogon citratus

Short description: Species of plant

Lemon grass

Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Plantae
Clade:  | Tracheophytes
Clade:  | Angiosperms
Clade:  | Monocots
Clade:  | Commelinids
Order:  | Poales
Family:  | Poaceae
Subfamily:  | Panicoideae
Genus:  | Cymbopogon
Species:  |

C. citratus

Binomial name
Cymbopogon citratus

(DC.) Stapf,[1] 1906

Synonyms[2]

List

*     * Andropogon cerifer Hack.
* Andropogon ceriferus Hack.
* Andropogon citratus DC.
* Andropogon citriodorus Desf. nom. inval.
* Andropogon fragrans C.Cordem.
* Andropogon roxburghii Nees ex Steud.

Cymbopogon citratus, commonly known as West Indian lemon grass or simply lemon grass,[3] is a tropical plant native to Maritime Southeast Asia and introduced to many tropical regions.[4]

Cymbopogon citratus is often sold in stem form. While it can be grown in warmer temperate regions, such as the UK, it is not hardy to frost.

## Contents

* 1 Morphology
* 2 Distribution
* 3 Culinary uses
* 4 Medicinal uses
* 4.1 Chemical composition
* 4.2 Traditional medicinal use
* 5 Effect on insects
* 6 See also
* 7 References
* 8 External links

## Morphology

Cymbopogon citratus is part of the grass family, Poaceae. They contain simple, bluish-green leaves with entire margins and are linear in shape. The blades tend to be 18–36 inches long. Like other grasses, the leaves also have parallel venation.[5]

## Distribution

Cymbopogon citratus is native to Island Southeast Asia (Malesia). It has been introduced extensively to South Asia since precolonial times. After World War I, lemongrass was introduced to Madagascar , South America, and Central America. It has now been naturalized throughout the tropics and subtropics worldwide.[6]

In its native range, Cymbopogon citratus is known as sereh, serai, or serai dapur in Indonesia and Malaysia; and tanglad (from Proto-Austronesian *Caŋelaj originally referring to Themeda gigantea, a type of elephant grass[7]), salai, or balioko in the Philippines .[6]

## Culinary uses

Knots of C. citratus leaves sold at a supermarket in the Philippines

Ready-to-use bundles of lemon grass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and, for chicken tom yam, also turmeric, are sold at Thai markets.

Cymbopogon citratus is abundant in the Philippines and Indonesia where it is known as tanglad or sereh, respectively. Its fragrant leaves are traditionally used in cooking, particularly for lechon and roasted chicken.[8]

The dried leaves can also be brewed into a tea, either alone or as a flavoring in other teas, imparting a flavor reminiscent of lemon juice but with a mild sweetness without significant sourness or tartness.

In Sri Lanka, lemongrass is known as sera (සේර). It is used as a herb in cooking, in addition to its use for the essential oils.[9]

Lemongrass in Thailand is called takhrai (ตะไคร้). It is the essential ingredient of tom yam and tom kha kai. Fresh thin slices of lemongrass stem also used in miangpla, as a snack food.

## Medicinal uses

The leaves of Cymbopogon citratus have been used in traditional medicine and are often found in herbal supplements and teas. Evidence of effective Cymbopogon citratus essential oil anti-protozoa activity against Leishmania amazonensis.[10]

### Chemical composition

Lemon grass oil contains 65–85% citral in addition to myrcene, citronellal, citronellol, linalool and geraniol.[11][12] Hydrosteam distillation, condensation, and cooling can be used to separate the oil from the water. The hydrosol, as a by-product of the distillation process, is used for the production of skin care products such as lotions, creams, and facial cleansers. The main ingredients in these products are lemon grass oil and "negros oil" (mixture of lemon grass oil with virgin coconut oil) used in aromatherapy.[13]

Citronellol is an essential oil constituent from Cymbopogon citratus, Cymbopogon winterianus, and Lippia alba. Citronellol has been shown to lower blood pressure in rats by a direct effect on the vascular smooth muscle leading to vasodilation.[14] In a small, randomized, controlled trial, an infusion made from C. citratus was used as an inexpensive remedy for the treatment of oral thrush in HIV/AIDS patients.[15]

Laboratory studies have shown cytoprotective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties in vitro.[16][17][18]

### Traditional medicinal use

In the folk medicine of the Krahô people of Brazil, it is believed to have anxiolytic, hypnotic, and anticonvulsant properties.[19][20]

In traditional medicine of India the leaves of the plant are used as stimulant, sudorific, antiperiodic, and anticatarrhal, while the essential oil is used as carminative, depressant, analgesic, antipyretic, antibacterial, and antifungal agent.

## Effect on insects

File:Repellency of lemongrass oil against stable flies - Figure 2.tif

Beekeepers sometimes use lemon grass oil in swarm traps to attract swarms. Lemon grass oil has also been tested for its ability to repel the pestilent stable fly,[21] which bite domestic animals.

## See also

* GABAA receptor
* GABAA receptor positive allosteric agonists

## References

1. ↑ {{citation | mode = cs1 | title = Cymbopogon citratus | work = Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) | url = | publisher = [[Organization:Agricultural Research ServAgricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) | access-date = 2008-03-02 }}
2. ↑ "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-406132.
3. ↑ "Cymbopogon citratus". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=CYCI. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
4. ↑ "Cymbopogon citratus". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:396896-1.
5. ↑ Shah, Gagan; Shri, Richa; Panchal, Vivek; Sharma, Narender; Singh, Bharpur; Mann, AS (2011). "Scientific basis for the therapeutic use of Cymbopogon citratus, stapf (Lemon grass)". Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology & Research 2 (1): 3–8. doi:10.4103/2231-4040.79796. ISSN 2231-4040. PMID 22171285.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Oyen, L.P.A.. "Cymbopogon citratus (PROSEA)". https://uses.plantnet-project.org/en/Cymbopogon_citratus_(PROSEA).
7. ↑ Blust, Robert; Trussel, Stephen (2010). "*Caŋelaj elephant grass, miscanthus grass: Themeda gigantea". Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. https://acd.clld.org/cognatesets/32388#5/15.124/122.273.
8. ↑ "Tanglad / Lemongrass". Market Manila. August 21, 2006. http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/tanglad-lemongrass.
9. ↑ "The Spice Council of Sri Lanka". https://www.srilankanspices.com/sl_spices_lemongrass.html.
10. ↑ Santin, Marta Regina; dos Santos, Adriana Oliveira; Nakamura, Celso Vataru; Dias Filho, Benedito Prado; Ferreira, Izabel Cristina Piloto; Ueda-Nakamura, Tânia (2009). "In vitro activity of the essential oil of Cymbopogon citratus and its major component (citral) on Leishmania amazonensis" (in en). Parasitology Research 105 (6): 1489–1496. doi:10.1007/s00436-009-1578-7. ISSN 0932-0113. PMID 19669793. http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00436-009-1578-7.
11. ↑ Shaikh, Mosma; Suryawanshi, Yogesh; Digambar, Mokat (2019). "Volatile Profiling and Essential Oil Yield of Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf Treated with Rhizosphere Fungi and Some Important Fertilizers". Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plants 22 (2): 477–483. doi:10.1080/0972060X.2019.1613933.
12. ↑ Baby P. Skaria; P.P. Joy; Samuel Mathew; Gracy Mathew; Ancy Joseph; Ragina Joseph (2007). Aromatic Plants. 1. New Delhi, India: New India Publishing Agency. p. 103. ISBN 9788189422455. https://books.google.com/books?id=e68EbGOCayAC&pg=PA103.
13. ↑ Inquirer.net, ‘Tanglad’ goes mainstream, yields essential oils
14. ↑ Bastos JF. Moreira IJ. Ribeiro TP. Medeiros IA. Antoniolli AR. De Sousa DP. Santos MR. (2010). "Hypotensive and vasorelaxant effects of citronellol, a monoterpene alcohol, in rats". Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology 106 (4): 331–337. doi:10.1111/j.1742-7843.2009.00492.x. PMID 20002067.
15. ↑ Wright SC. Maree JE. Sibanyoni M. (2009). "Treatment of oral thrush in HIV/AIDS patients with lemon juice and lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) and gentian violet". Phytomedicine 16 (2–3): 118–124. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2008.07.015. PMID 19109001.
16. ↑ Figueirinha A. Cruz MT. Francisco V. Lopes MC. Batista MT. (2010). "Anti-inflammatory activity of Cymbopogon citratus leaf infusion in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated dendritic cells: contribution of the polyphenols". Journal of Medicinal Food 13 (3): 681–690. doi:10.1089/jmf.2009.0115. PMID 20438326.
17. ↑ Lee HJ. Jeong HS. Kim DJ. Noh YH. Yuk DY. Hong JT. (2008). "Inhibitory effect of citral on NO production by suppression of iNOS expression and NF-kappa B activation in RAW264.7 cells". Archives of Pharmacal Research 31 (3): 342–349. doi:10.1007/s12272-001-1162-0. PMID 18409048.
18. ↑ "Suppression of oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory mediators by Cymbopogon citratus D. Stapf extract in lipopolysaccharide stimulated murine alveolar macrophages". Food Chem. Toxicol. 48 (10): 2913–2919. 2010. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2010.07.027. PMID 20655974.
19. ↑ "Neurobehavioral effect of essential oil of Cymbopogon citratus in mice". Phytomedicine 16 (2–3): 265–70. March 2009. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2007.04.007. PMID 17561386.
20. ↑ Rodrigues, Eliana & Carlini, E.A. (2006): Plants with possible psychoactive effects used by the Krahô Indians, Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria 28(4): 277-282. PDF fulltext
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Baldacchino, Frédéric; Tramut, Coline; Salem, Ali; Liénard, Emmanuel; Delétré, Emilie; Franc, Michel; Martin, Thibaud; Duvallet, Gérard et al. (2013). "The repellency of lemongrass oil against stable flies, tested using video tracking". Parasite 20: 21. doi:10.1051/parasite/2013021. ISSN 1776-1042. PMID 23759542.

## External links

* Cymbopogon citratus List of Chemicals (Dr. Duke's)
* Cymbopogon citratus from the Biodiversity Heritage Library
* 'Citronella – anticeptic and anti-inflammation' in Vietnam botanical life

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