Palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii) Research

Latin Name: Cymbopogon martinii

Family: Apiaceae

RESEARCH

The listings of research below represent a compilation of scientific articles found on the species, with a very brief overview description of each article/study.  Research found is catalogued by therapeutic action.  This categorized compilation of research articles does not necessarily imply that there are adequate results to demonstrate safe and/or effective human use.

GENERAL

• Lis-Balchin, M. (2006). Aromatherapy Science: A guide for healthcare professionals. London: Pharmaceutical Press.

ANTIMICROBIAL / ANTIBACTERIAL / ANTIFUNGAL

• Plant oils of 52 species were tested against key bacteria.  Lemongrass, oregano and bay inhibited all organisms, and rosewood, coriander, palmarosa, tea tree, niaouli, peppermint, spearmint, sage and marjoram inhibited all organisms except P. aeruginosa.  Carrot, patchouli, sandalwood and vetiver inhibited Gram-positive bacteria and C. albicans. Myrrh and cypress inhibited only Gram-positive organisms and mandarin oil inhibited only C. albicans.  From:  Hammer, K. A., Carson, C. F., & Riley, T. V. (1999). Antimicrobial activity of essential oils and other plant extracts. Journal of applied microbiology, 86(6), 985-990.
• Palmarosa, lemongrass, peppermint, and eucalyptus were bactericidal against Escherichia coli.  From:  Pattnaik, S., Subramanyam, V. R., & Rath, C. C. (1994). Effect of essential oils on the viability and morphology of Escherichia coli (SP-11). Microbios, 84(340), 195-199.
• Antibacterial abilities of 96 essential oils and their constituents were assessed. Marigold, ginger, jasmine, patchouli, gardenia, cedarwood, carrot seed, celery seed, mugwort, spikenard, and orange bitter oils along with the constituents of cinnamaldehyde, estragole, carvacrol, benzaldehyde, citral, thymol, eugenol, perillaldehyde, carvone R, and geranyl acetate were strongest against C. jejuni.  Those most active against E. coli were oregano, thyme, cinnamon, palmarosa, bay leaf, clove bud, lemon grass, and allspice oils and the constituents: carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde, thymol, eugenol, salicylaldehyde, geraniol, isoeugenol, citral, perillaldehyde, and estragole.  Those most active against L. monocytogenes were gardenia, cedarwood, bay leaf, clove bud, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, thyme, and patchouli and the constituents of cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, thymol, carvacrol, citral, geraniol, perillaldehyde, carvone S, estragole, and salicylaldehyde.  Those most active against S. enterica were thyme, oregano, cinnamon, clove bud, allspice, bay leaf, palmarosa, and marjoram oils as well as thymol, cinnamaldehyde, carvacrol, eugenol, salicylaldehyde, geraniol, isoeugenol, terpineol, perillaldehyde, and estragole.  From:  Friedman, M., Henika, P. R., & Mandrell, R. E. (2002). Bactericidal activities of plant essential oils and some of their isolated constituents against Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica. Journal of Food Protection®, 65(10), 1545-1560.
• Oregano, thyme, cinnamon bark, lemongrass, clove, palmarose, peppermint, lavender, geranium, bourbon, and tea tree reduced fungus in heated footbath water.  From:  Inouye, S., Uchida, K., Nishiyama, Y., Hasumi, Y., Yamaguchi, H., & Abe, S. (2007). Combined effect of heat, essential oils and salt on the fungicidal activity against Trichophyton mentagrophytes in foot bath. Nippon Ishinkin Gakkai Zasshi, 48(1), 27-36.
• Aegle, ageratum, citronella, eucalyptus, geranium, lemongrass, orange, palmarosa, patchouli and peppermint, were tested for antibacterial activity against 22 bacteria, and twelve fungi. From:  Pattnaik, S., Subramanyam, V. R., & Kole, C. (1995). Antibacterial and antifungal activity of ten essential oils in vitro. Microbios, 86(349), 237-246.
• Palmarosa and cinnamon oils along with their phenolic compounds of thymol and carvacrol were the most fungitoxic against Cryptococcus neoformans common in late stage AIDS patients. Terpenoids, citral, geraniol, and citronellol also showed strong activity.  From:  Viollon, C., & Chaumont, J. P. (1994). Antifungal properties of essential oils and their main components uponCryptococcus neoformans. Mycopathologia, 128(3), 151-153.
• Palmarosa oil showed antimicrobial activity against Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells.  From:  Prashar, A., Hili, P., Veness, R. G., & Evans, C. S. (2003).  Antimicrobial action of palmarosa oil (Cymbopogon martinii) on Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Phytochemistry, 63(5), 569-575.
• Cymbopogon martinii (ginger grass oil), Cymbopogon oliveri, Cymbopogon sp. (rosa sofia oil) and Trachyspermum ammi (ajowan) exhibited strong fungitoxicity against Helminthosporium oryzae and were more active than some of the prevalent synthetic fungicides, and may be useful as a natural fungicide.  From:  Singh, A. K., Dikshit, A., Sharma, M. L., & Dixit, S. N. (1980). Fungitoxic activity of some essential oils. Economic Botany, 34(2), 186-190.
• Of 35 medicinal plants tested, the essential oils from 13 plants showed anti-Candida activity: Aloysia triphylla (lemon verbena), Anthemis nobilis (Roman chamomile), Cymbopogon martini (palmarosa), Cymbopogon winterianus (lemongrass), Cyperus articulatus, Cyperus rotundus, Lippia alba, Mentha arvensis, Mikania glomerata, Mentha piperita, Mentha sp., Stachys byzantina, and Solidago chilensis. From: Duarte, M. C. T., Figueira, G. M., Sartoratto, A., Rehder, V. L. G., & Delarmelina, C. (2005). Anti-Candida activity of Brazilian medicinal plants. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 97(2), 305-311.
• Among 49 essential oils tested, palmarosa (Cymbopogon martini), red thyme (Thymus zygis), cinnamon leaf (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), and clove buds (Eugenia caryophyllata) were the most antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea.  From:  Wilson, C. L., Solar, J. M., El Ghaouth, A., & Wisniewski, M. E. (1997). Rapid evaluation of plant extracts and essential oils for antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea. Plant disease, 81(2), 204-210.
• Chenopodium ambrosioides, Cymbopogon martinii (palmarosa), Cymbopogon nardus (citronella), Syzygium aromaticum (clove), and Pimenta racemosa (bay) were the most antifungal  on the eight tested strains.  From:  Delespaul, Q., de Billerbeck, V. G., Roques, C. G., Michel, G., Marquier-Viñuales, C., & Bessière, J. M. (2000). The antifungal activity of essential oils as determined by different screening methods. Journal of essential oil research, 12(2), 256-266.
• Cymbopogon martini and Chenopodium ambrosioides were effective against fungal dermatophyte infections in guinea pig models in vitro and in vivo. From:  Prasad, C. S., Shukla, R., Kumar, A., & Dubey, N. K. (2010). In vitro and in vivo antifungal activity of essential oils of Cymbopogon martini and Chenopodium ambrosioides and their synergism against dermatophytes. Mycoses, 53(2), 123-129.
• Lemongrass, palmarosa, lavender and rose scented geranium showed in vitro activity against pathogenic vaginal microorganisms.  From:  Schwiertz, A., Duttke, C., Hild, J., & Mueller, H. J. (2006). In vitro activity of essential oils on microorganisms isolated from vaginal infections. International Journal of Aromatherapy, 16(3), 169-174.
• Thirty essential oils were tested against pathogenic plant bacteria. Ceylon cinnamon (leaf and bark), oregano, clove bud, palmarosa, basil, peppermint, rosemary, blue gum, camphor, lemongrass, aniseed, ylang ylang, silver fir, lemon, dwarf mountain pine, bay laurel, scots pine, black cumin, Indian frankincense, bergamot orange, common juniper, bitter orange, and neem showed varying degrees of reaction.  From: Popović, T., Milićević, Z., Oro, V., Kostić, I., Radović, V., Jelušić, A., & Krnjajić, S. (2018). A preliminary study of antibacterial activity of thirty essential oils against several important plant pathogenic bacteria. Pesticidi i fitomedicina, 33(3-4), 185-195.
• The affect of palmarosa oil against Cutibacterium acnes bacteria on shoulder skin was assessed. From: Murbach Teles Andrade, B. F., Nunes Barbosa, L., Bérgamo Alves, F. C., Pereira Marques, A. F., Albano, M., Mores Rall, V. L., … & Fernandes Júnior, A. (2018). The impact of Cymbopogon martinii essential oil on Cutibacterium (formerly Propionibacterium) acnes strains and its interaction with keratinocytes. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 70(12), 1688-1699.

ACNE

• Palmarosa essential oil showed antibacterial activity against the bacteria that can cause skin acne with geraniol as the most likely active constituent.  More research is warranted.  From:  Andrade, B. M. T., Barbosa, L. N., Alves, F. B., Albano, M., Fernandes, R. K., Gorgulho, C. M., … & Brüggemann, H. (2016). Cymbopogon martinii essential oil: chemical characterization, effects on Propionibacterium acnes and immune response in lymphocytes. Planta Medica, 82(S 01), P185.
• The affect of palmarosa oil against Cutibacterium acnes bacteria on shoulder skin was assessed. From: Murbach Teles Andrade, B. F., Nunes Barbosa, L., Bérgamo Alves, F. C., Pereira Marques, A. F., Albano, M., Mores Rall, V. L., … & Fernandes Júnior, A. (2018). The impact of Cymbopogon martinii essential oil on Cutibacterium (formerly Propionibacterium) acnes strains and its interaction with keratinocytes. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 70(12), 1688-1699.

SKIN / WOUNDS

• In a study of 50 patients with wound ulcers, an herbal ointment was applied twice a day for 28 days. It contained Symphytum officinale, Plantago major, Calendula officinalis, Matricaria chamomilla, Bellis perennis, Achillea millefolium, Salvia officinalis, Hypericum perforatum, Olea europaea, Lavandula officinalis, Melaleuca alternifolia, Cympobogon martini, Origanum vulgare, Eugenia caryophyllata, Thymus vulgaris ct. thymol, Cera alba, honey, and glycerol. Results showed significant healing of wounds. From: Oreščanin, V. (2016). Treatment of pressure ulcers with Bioapifit® wound healing herbal ointment-a preliminary study. IJRDO: J Biol Sci, 2(10), 1-15.

ANTI-PARASITE

• C. schoenanthus essential oil had the best activity against ovine trichostrongylids followed by C. martini. From:  Katiki, L. M., Chagas, A. C. S., Bizzo, H. R., Ferreira, J. F. S., & Amarante, A. F. T. D. (2011). Anthelmintic activity of Cymbopogon martinii, Cymbopogon schoenanthus and Mentha piperita essential oils evaluated in four different in vitro tests. Veterinary Parasitology, 183(1), 103-108.
• Palmarosa and its geraniol constituent both showed potent anthelmintic activity against Caenorhabditis elegans.  From:  Kumaran, A. M., D’Souza, P., Agarwal, A., Bokkolla, R. M., & Balasubramaniam, M. (2003). Geraniol, the putative anthelmintic principle of Cymbopogon martinii. Phytotherapy Research, 17(8), 957-957.

INSECTICIDAL / REPELLENT

• Essential oils from Cymbopogon martinii “palmarosa”, Cymbopogon flexuosus “lemongrass”, and Lippia origanoides “wild oregano” were insecticidal against Tribolium castaneum.  From:  Caballero-Gallardo, K., Olivero-Verbel, J., & Stashenko, E. E. (2012). Repellency and toxicity of essential oils from Cymbopogon martinii, Cymbopogon flexuosus and Lippia origanoides cultivated in Colombia against Tribolium castaneum. Journal of Stored Products Research, 50, 62-65.   ​
• Cymbopogon martinii was protective for stored wheat (Triticum aestivum) and gram (garbanzo bean, Cicer arietinum) against insect infestation the beetles Callosobruchus chinensis and Tribolium castaneum.  From:  Kumar, R., Srivastava, M., & Dubey, N. K. (2007). Evaluation of Cymbopogon martinii oil extract for control of postharvest insect deterioration in cereals and legumes. Journal of Food Protection®, 70(1), 172-178.
• Essential oils of Cymbopogan martinii (palmarosa), Cymbopogan citratus (lemon grass) and Cymbopogan nardus (citronella) were as effective as the chemical mylol in repelling mosquitoes. From:  Ansari, M. A., & Razdan, R. K. (1995). Relative efficacy of various oils in repelling mosquitoes. Indian journal of malariology, 32(3), 104-111.
• Cymbopogon martinii and Cymbopogon nardus were more effective than the commercially used product against grain pests Oryzaephilus surinamensis and Sitophilus zeamais Motsch.  From:  Hernandez-Lambraño, R., Pajaro-Castro, N., Caballero-Gallardo, K., Stashenko, E., & Olivero-Verbel, J. (2015). Essential oils from plants of the genus Cymbopogon as natural insecticides to control stored product pests. Journal of Stored Products Research, 62, 81-83.

PRESERVATIVE

• Cymbopogon martinii was protective for stored wheat (Triticum aestivum) and gram (garbanzo bean, Cicer arietinum) against insect infestation the beetles Callosobruchus chinensis and Tribolium castaneum.  From:  Kumar, R., Srivastava, M., & Dubey, N. K. (2007). Evaluation of Cymbopogon martinii oil extract for control of postharvest insect deterioration in cereals and legumes. Journal of Food Protection®, 70(1), 172-178.
• Cymbopogon martinii and Cymbopogon nardus were more effective than the commercially used product against grain pests Oryzaephilus surinamensis and Sitophilus zeamais Motsch.  From:  Hernandez-Lambraño, R., Pajaro-Castro, N., Caballero-Gallardo, K., Stashenko, E., & Olivero-Verbel, J. (2015). Essential oils from plants of the genus Cymbopogon as natural insecticides to control stored product pests. Journal of Stored Products Research, 62, 81-83.

GREEN GARDENING

• Thirty essential oils were tested against pathogenic plant bacteria. Ceylon cinnamon (leaf and bark), oregano, clove bud, palmarosa, basil, peppermint, rosemary, blue gum, camphor, lemongrass, aniseed, ylang ylang, silver fir, lemon, dwarf mountain pine, bay laurel, scots pine, black cumin, Indian frankincense, bergamot orange, common juniper, bitter orange, and neem showed varying degrees of reaction.  From: Popović, T., Milićević, Z., Oro, V., Kostić, I., Radović, V., Jelušić, A., & Krnjajić, S. (2018). A preliminary study of antibacterial activity of thirty essential oils against several important plant pathogenic bacteria. Pesticidi i fitomedicina, 33(3-4), 185-195.

SPASMOLYTIC

• Methanol extracts of palmarosa had a spasmolytic effect on multiple tested organs in vitro. From: Janbaz, K. H., Qayyum, A., Saqib, F., Imran, I., Zia-Ul-Haq, M., & De Feo, V. (2014). Bronchodilator, vasodilator and spasmolytic activities of Cymbopogon martini. J Physiol Pharmacol, 65(6), 859-866.

NEUROPROTECTIVE

• Palmarosa oral extracts showed neuroprotective actions in vivo. From: Buch, P., Patel, V., Ranpariya, V., Sheth, N., & Parmar, S. (2012). Neuroprotective activity of Cymbopogon martinii against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion-induced oxidative stress in rats. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 142(1), 35-40.

By Kathy Sadowski

Updated: 9/5/19