The Art of NATURE, The Art of SCIENCE
Common names | Damiana
Scientific name | Turnera diffusa
Used part | Leaf
Known active compounds | flavonoids, essential oils
Potential benefits in cosmetics | anti-oxidant, anti-microbial
Product name | Damiana Leaf-ANB
Plant Story
The genus Turnera contains over 100 species and has been used in traditional medicine to treat a wide range of health conditions, including anemia, bronchitis, cough, diabetes, fever, fungal disease, gastrointestinal complaints, pain, pulmonary and respiratory diseases, skin disorders, and women's health problems. Turnera diffusa, commonly known as damiana, is a shrub that produces small, aromatic flowers and is native to North America. Damiana has been thought to be one of the most important medicinal plants of northern Central America.
An extensive review on ethnobotanical use, phytochemical constituents, and bioactivity of Turnera including damiana was performed. In this review, various uses of damiana were discussed, including use as a remedy for stomachache, lung diseases related to tobacco abuse, bladder and kidney infections, rheumatism, diabetes, and scorpion stings. Damiana has also demonstrated anti-microbial activity against various Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In another study investigating four plants from the Mexican region, damiana was found to be high in total phenolic content and to possess antioxidant activity based on DPPH assay and lipid peroxidation inhibition.