Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) Research

Latin Name: Pogostemon cablin

Family: Lamiaceae

Historically, patchouli oil has been used as a moth repellent to keep the pests away from fine silks, cloth, and rugs. Patchouli has also demonstrated antimicrobial benefits.  Recent in vitro studies have investigated patchouli oil, and specifically its patchouli alcohol constituent for its anti-cancer properties.  In addition, it has shown anti-inflammatory and calming actions.  More research and then human studies are needed.

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.
• Petersen, D. (2015). Aromatherapy materia medica.  Essential oil monographs.  American College of Healthcare Sciences.
• Peace-Rhind, J.  (2012). Essential oils: A handbook for aromatherapy practice 2nd edition.  Singing Dragon.  London.
• Antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antioxidant, analgesic, gastro-protective, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet, antithrombotic, aphrodisiac, antidepressant, and anti-cancer activities are identified in research.  From: Swamy, M. K., & Sinniah, U. R. (2015). A comprehensive review on the phytochemical constituents and pharmacological activities of Pogostemon cablin Benth.: an aromatic medicinal plant of industrial importance. Molecules, 20(5), 8521-8547.
• Van Beek, T. A., & Joulain, D. (2018). The essential oil of patchouli, Pogostemon cablin: A review. Flavour and Fragrance Journal, 33(1), 6-51.
• Ramya, H. G., Palanimuthu, V., & Rachna, S. (2013). An introduction to patchouli (Pogostemon cablin Benth.)–A medicinal and aromatic plant: It’s importance to mankind. Agricultural Engineering International: CIGR Journal, 15(2), 243-250.
• Swamy, M. K., & Sinniah, U. R. (2016). Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin Benth.): botany, agrotechnology and biotechnological aspects. Industrial Crops and Products, 87, 161-176.

SAFETY

• Often adultered with cedar oils or Piper cubeba.  To check for cedarwood adulteration, leave out on a perfume blotter for a few days and smell for cedarwood notes (Petersen, 2015).
• Toxic constituents include patchoulenone and cinnamic acid, skin patch test is required (Petersen, 2015).
• May reduce appetite: avoid with anorexia (Petersen, 2015).

ANTIMICROBIAL / ANTIBACTERIAL / ANTIFUNGAL / ANTIVIRAL

• Patchouli essential oil treatments used in French hospitals were antimicrobial against HIV/AIDs opportunistic infections.  From:  Buckle, J. (2002). Clinical aromatherapy and AIDS. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 13(3), 81-99.
• Patchouli extracts showed activity against the influenza virus in vitro.  From:  Liu, F., Cao, W., Deng, C., Wu, Z., Zeng, G., & Zhou, Y. (2016). Polyphenolic glycosides isolated from Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth. as novel influenza neuraminidase inhibitors. Chemistry Central Journal, 10(1), 51.
• 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.
• 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 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.  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.
• Antifungal and antibacterial abilities of three types of patchouli were assessed.  From:  Yang, D., Michel, D., Mandin, D., Andriamboavonjy, H., Poitry, P., Chaumont, J. P., & Millet Clerc, J. (1996). Antifungal and antibacterial properties in vitro of three patchouly oils from different origins. Acta Botanica Gallica (France)
• Patchouli oil was effective against 16 strains of skin bacteria.  From:  Depo, Y., Chaumont, J. P., & Millet, J. (1998). ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY ON SKIN AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE VOLATILE OILS FROM Agastache rugosa AND Pogostemon cablin [J]. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY, 4, 000.
• 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.
• Allium tuberosum, Cinnamomum cassia, and Pogostemon cablin essential oils were antifungal against Aspergillus flavus.  From:  Kocevski, D., Du, M., Kan, J., Jing, C., Lačanin, I., & Pavlović, H. (2013). Antifungal effect of Allium tuberosum, Cinnamomum cassia, and Pogostemon cablin essential oils and their components against population of Aspergillus species. Journal of food science, 78(5), M731-M737.
• The following commercially bought oils showed antimicrobial activity against multiple pathogens:  patchouli (Pogostemon cablin), myrrh (Commiphora myrrha), bergamot (Citrus bergamia), geranium (Geranium maculatum), sandalwood (Santalum album), ylang ylang (Cananga odorata), tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), and lavender (Lavendula officinalis).   From:  Maudsley, F., & Kerr, K. G. (1999). Microbiological safety of essential oils used in complementary therapies and the activity of these compounds against bacterial and fungal pathogens. Supportive care in cancer, 7(2), 100-102
• Extracts from the leaves of Coleus forskohlii, Pogostemon patchouli and Tecoma stans showed broad spectrum antibacterial activity.  From:  Senthilkumar, C. S., Kumar, M. S., & Pandian, M. R. (2010). In Vitro Antibacterial activity of crude leaf extracts from tecoma stans (L) Juss. et Kunth, Coleus Forskohlii and Pogostemon Patchouli against human pathogenic bacteria. International Journal of PharmTech Research, 2(1), 438-442.
• Patchouli alcohol possessed anti-influenza A activity in vitro and in vivo.  From:  Wu, H., Li, B., Wang, X., Jin, M., & Wang, G. (2011). Inhibitory effect and possible mechanism of action of patchouli alcohol against influenza A (H2N2) virus. Molecules, 16(8), 6489-6501.
• Patchouli alcohol was antiviral against influenza in vivo.  From:  Li, Y. C., Peng, S. Z., Chen, H. M., Zhang, F. X., Xu, P. P., Xie, J. H., … & Su, Z. R. (2012). Oral administration of patchouli alcohol isolated from Pogostemonis Herba augments protection against influenza viral infection in mice. International Immunopharmacology, 12(1), 294-301.
• Patchouli alcohol showed anti-influenza virus activity in vitro.  From:  Wu, X. L., Ju, D. H., Chen, J., Yu, B., Liu, K. L., He, J. X., … & Chen, X. Y. (2013). Immunologic mechanism of patchouli alcohol anti-H1N1 influenza virus may through regulation of the RLH signal pathway in vitro. Current microbiology, 67(4), 431-436.
• Patchouli alcohol showed dose dependent anti-influenza activity against certain strains. From:  Kiyohara, H., Ichino, C., Kawamura, Y., Nagai, T., Sato, N., & Yamada, H. (2012). Patchouli alcohol: in vitro direct anti-influenza virus sesquiterpene in Pogostemon cablin Benth. Journal of natural medicines, 66(1), 55-61.
• Pseudolarix kaempferi, Sophora flavescens, Pogostemon cablin, Alpinia officinarum, Eugenia caryophyllata, Melia toosendan, and Polygonum hydropiper showed the strongest antifungal activity of tested Chinese plants.  From:  Liu, Q., Luyten, W., Pellens, K., Wang, Y., Wang, W., Thevissen, K., … & Luo, G. (2012). Antifungal activity in plants from Chinese traditional and folk medicine. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 143(3), 772-778.
• Manuka, ylang ylang, vetiver, patchouli, cinnamon, and sandalwood essential oils provided varying noteworthy synergistic activities with other essential oils against microbes that cause acne in vitro.  From:  Orchard, A., van Vuuren, S. F., Viljoen, A. M., & Kamatou, G. (2018). The in vitro antimicrobial evaluation of commercial essential oils and their combinations against acne. International journal of cosmetic science, 40(3), 226-243.
• Against the oral bacteria: Streptococcus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus, the 13 most effective essential oils were: myrrh, ginger, basil, carrot seed, tea tree, patchouli, ylang ylang, cypress, lemongrass, cinnamon, peppermint, lavender, and eucalyptus. From: Park, C., & Yoon, H. (2018). Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oil against Oral Strain. International Journal of Clinical Preventive Dentistry, 14(4), 216-221.

INSECTICIDAL / LARVICIDAL

• Amyris, carrot seed and patchouli essential oils were tested against Culex pipiens pallens ​and showed 100% larvicidal activity.  From:  Park, H. M., & Park, I. K. (2012). Larvicidal activity of Amyris balsamifera, Daucus carota and Pogostemon cablin essential oils and their components against Culex pipiens pallens. Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology, 15(4), 631-634.
• Against larvae Spodoptera littoralis the following oils showed insecticidal activity: catnip, white cedar, clary sage, thyme,  marjoram, patchouli, pennyroyal, lemon mint, Melissa, and lavender.  From: Pavela, R. (2005). Insecticidal activity of some essential oils against larvae of Spodoptera littoralis. Fitoterapia, 76(7), 691-696.
• P. cablin could be useful as an insecticidal against mosquitoes.  From:  Gokulakrishnan, J., Kuppusamy, E., Shanmugam, D., Appavu, A., & Kaliyamoorthi, K. (2013). Pupicidal and repellent activities of Pogostemon cablin essential oil chemical compounds against medically important human vector mosquitoes. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Disease, 3(1), 26-31.
• Patchouli was toxic against termites.  From:  Zhu, B. C. R., Henderson, G., Yu, Y., & Laine, R. A. (2003). Toxicity and repellency of patchouli oil and patchouli alcohol against Formosan subterranean termites Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 51(16), 4585-4588.
• Patchouli essential oil proved insecticidal and repellent against three urban ant species.  From:  Albuquerque, E. L., Lima, J. K., Souza, F. H., Silva, I. M., Santos, A. A., Araújo, A. P. A., … & Bacci, L. (2013). Insecticidal and repellence activity of the essential oil of Pogostemon cablin against urban ants species. Acta tropica, 127(3), 181-186.
• Patchouli essential oil was pupicidal and repelled multiple mosquito species.  From:  Gokulakrishnan, J., Kuppusamy, E., Shanmugam, D., Appavu, A., & Kaliyamoorthi, K. (2013). Pupicidal and repellent activities of Pogostemon cablin essential oil chemical compounds against medically important human vector mosquitoes. Asian Pacific journal of tropical disease, 3(1), 26-31.
• The products containing patchouli and sweet flag (Acorus calamus) were effective insecticidals against mosquitos.  From:  Phal, D., Naik, R., Deobhankar, K., Vitonde, S., & Ghatpande, N. (2012). Laboratory evaluation of herbal mosquito coils against Aedes aegypti mosquito. Bull. Environ. Pharmacol. Life Sci, 1, 16-20.
• Patchouli oil was insecticidal against two tested moth species.  From:  Huang, S. H., Xian, J. D., Kong, S. Z., Li, Y. C., Xie, J. H., Lin, J., … & Su, Z. R. (2014). Insecticidal activity of pogostone against Spodoptera litura and Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Pest management science, 70(3), 510-516.

REPELLENT

• Cymbopogon nardus (citronella), Pogostemon cablin (patchouli), Syzygium aromaticum (clove) and Zanthoxylum limonella (prickly ash) were the most effective and provided 2 h of complete repellency against the mosquito Aedes aegypti.  From:  Trongtokit, Y., Rongsriyam, Y., Komalamisra, N., & Apiwathnasorn, C. (2005). Comparative repellency of 38 essential oils against mosquito bites. Phytotherapy Research, 19(4), 303-309.
• Patchouli essential oil was pupicidal and repelled multiple mosquito species.  From:  Gokulakrishnan, J., Kuppusamy, E., Shanmugam, D., Appavu, A., & Kaliyamoorthi, K. (2013). Pupicidal and repellent activities of Pogostemon cablin essential oil chemical compounds against medically important human vector mosquitoes. Asian Pacific journal of tropical disease, 3(1), 26-31.
• Patchouli essential oil proved insecticidal and repellent against three urban ant species.  From:  Albuquerque, E. L., Lima, J. K., Souza, F. H., Silva, I. M., Santos, A. A., Araújo, A. P. A., … & Bacci, L. (2013). Insecticidal and repellence activity of the essential oil of Pogostemon cablin against urban ants species. Acta tropica, 127(3), 181-186.

ANTI-ALLERGY

• A blend including extracts of cinnamon, patchouli, and clove was effective against house dust mites.  From:  Wu, H. Q., Li, J., He, Z. D., & Liu, Z. G. (2010). Acaricidal activities of traditional Chinese medicine against the house dust mite, Dermatophagoides farinae. Parasitology, 137(6), 975-983.
• Patchouli oil showed antinociceptive and anti-allergy activity in vitro and in vivo.  From:  He, J. J., Chen, H. M., Li, C. W., Wu, D. W., Wu, X. L., Shi, S. J., … & Lai, X. P. (2013). Experimental study on antinociceptive and anti-allergy effects of patchouli oil. Journal of Essential Oil Research, 25(6), 488-496.

ANTI-CANCER

• Patchouli alcohol suppressed cell growth and induced apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells.  From:  Jeong, J. B., Choi, J., Lou, Z., Jiang, X., & Lee, S. H. (2013). Patchouli alcohol, an essential oil of Pogostemon cablin, exhibits anti-tumorigenic activity in human colorectal cancer cells. International immunopharmacology, 16(2), 184-190.   ​
• Components of patchouli extract showed antimutagenic activity.  From:  Miyazawa, M., Okuno, Y., Nakamura, S. I., & Kosaka, H. (2000). Antimutagenic activity of flavonoids from Pogostemon cablin. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 48(3), 642-647.

SUNSCREEN

• Patchouli alcohol found in the plant’s essential oil improved skin healing caused by sun exposure in mice.  From:  Feng, X. X., Yu, X. T., Li, W. J., Kong, S. Z., Liu, Y. H., Zhang, X., … & Lin, Z. X. (2014). Effects of topical application of patchouli alcohol on the UV-induced skin photoaging in mice. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 63, 113-123.

SKIN WOUNDS

• Patchouli oil was effective against 16 strains of skin bacteria.  From:  Depo, Y., Chaumont, J. P., & Millet, J. (1998). ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY ON SKIN AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE VOLATILE OILS FROM Agastache rugosa AND Pogostemon cablin [J]. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY, 4, 000.
• Nine essential oils were studied and showed potential to heal human skin cells in vitro.  They included: Citrus bergamia (bergamot), Coriandrum sativum (cilantro), Pelargonium graveolens (geranium), Helichrysum italicum (helichrysum), Pogostemon cablin (patchouli), Citrus aurantium (petitgrain), Santalum album (sandalwood), Nardostachys jatamansi (spikenard), and Cananga odorata (ylang ylang).  From:  Han, X., Beaumont, C., & Stevens, N. (2017). Chemical composition analysis and in vitro biological activities of ten essential oils in human skin cells. Biochimie Open, 5, 1-7.
• Patchouli, caraway, and geranium showed antibacterial action against S. aureus isolated from skin lessions of infected people.  From:  Kwiatkowski, P., Mnichowska-Polanowska, M., Pruss, A., Dzięcioł, M., & Masiuk, H. (2017). Experimental Paper. Activity of essential oils against Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from skin lesions in the course of staphylococcal skin infections. Herba Polonica, 63(1), 43-52.
• Bergamot, cilantro, geranium, helichrysum, patchouli, petitgrain, sandalwood, spikenard, and ylang ylang essential oils showed skin anti-inflammatory activity in vitro.  From:  Han, X., Beaumont, C., & Stevens, N. (2017). Chemical composition analysis and in vitro biological activities of ten essential oils in human skin cells. Biochimie open, 5, 1-7.

ANTI-ULCER

• Patchouli alcohol reduced ulcers in vivo with mucus forming activity.  From:  Zheng, Y. F., Xie, J. H., Xu, Y. F., Liang, Y. Z., Mo, Z. Z., Jiang, W. W., … & Su, Z. R. (2014). Gastroprotective effect and mechanism of patchouli alcohol against ethanol, indomethacin and stress-induced ulcer in rats. Chemico-biological interactions, 222, 27-36.
• Patchouli was protective against gastro-intestinal trauma in vivo.  From:  Xie, Y., & Tang, F. (2009). Protective effect of Pogostemon cablin on membrane fluidity of intestinal epithelia cell in ischemia/reperfusion rats after ischemia/reperfusion. Zhongguo Zhong xi yi jie he za zhi Zhongguo Zhongxiyi jiehe zazhi= Chinese journal of integrated traditional and Western medicine, 29(7), 639-641.

NEUROPROTECTIVE

• Pogostemon cablin effectively protected human neuroglioma cells against necrotic and apoptotic cell death induced by hydrogen peroxide.   From:  Kim, H. W., Cho, S. J., Kim, B. Y., Cho, S. I., & Kim, Y. K. (2010). Pogostemon cablin as ROS scavenger in oxidant-induced cell death of human neuroglioma cells. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 7(2), 239-247.   ​

STIMULANT

• Cajuput and ylang ylang oil odors possessed sedative effect and patchouli oil odor was stimulating to human physiologies.  From:  Wang, C. N. (2012). Effect of Melaleuca leucadendron, Cananga odorata and Pogostemon cablin oil odors on human physiological responses. Wood Research, 3(2), 100.

SEDATIVE

• Inhalation of patchouli and its diacetone alcohol had a sedative effect in vivo. From:  Ito, K., Akahoshi, Y., Ito, M., & Kaneko, S. (2016). Sedative effects of inhaled essential oil components of traditional fragrance Pogostemon cablin leaves and their structure–activity relationships. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine, 6(2), 140-145.
• Fragrance inhalation affected the sympathetic nervous system. Pepper, estragon oil, fennel, and grapefruit increased sympathetic activity, and rose and patchouli oils decreased sympathetic activity.  Inhaling pepper oil increased plasma adrenaline levels while rose oil decreased adrenaline.  From:  Haze, S., Sakai, K., & Gozu, Y. (2002). Effects of fragrance inhalation on sympathetic activity in normal adults. The Japanese journal of pharmacology, 90(3), 247-253.

ANXIETY

• In a study with 60 healthy women, the inhalation of a blend of lemongrass, patchouli, and ylang ylang was more effective than inhaling lavender in reducing anxiety.  Both the lavender group and the blend group showed reduced anxiety compared to the placebo.  From:  Siahaan, R., Rahardjo, T. B., & Ranti, A. (2015). Effectiveness of Indonesian Essential Oil Mixture of Lemongrass, Cananga, and Patchouli in Relaxation through Inhalation: A Clinical Test on Healthy Woman with High Potential for Stress. Makara Journal of Health Research, 143-151.
• In a study of 14 stroke patients, a footbath and massage with juniper, lavender, rosemary, patchouli, and orange reduced stress, improved mood, increased body temperature, and improved sleeping satisfaction compared to the placebo.  From:  Lee, J. H., Seo, E. K., Shim, J. S., & Chung, S. P. (2017). The effects of aroma massage and foot bath on psychophysiological response in stroke patients. Journal of physical therapy science, 29(8), 1292-1296.

ANTI-DEPRESSIVE

• In a study of 14 stroke patients, a footbath and massage with juniper, lavender, rosemary, patchouli, and orange reduced stress, improved mood, increased body temperature, and improved sleeping satisfaction compared to the placebo.  From:  Lee, J. H., Seo, E. K., Shim, J. S., & Chung, S. P. (2017). The effects of aroma massage and foot bath on psychophysiological response in stroke patients. Journal of physical therapy science, 29(8), 1292-1296.

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM AID

• Patchouli extracts suppressed colon inflammation in vitro and in vivo.  From:  Park, S. Y., Neupane, G. P., Lee, S. O., Lee, J. S., Kim, M. Y., Kim, S. Y., … & Kim, J. A. (2014). Protective effects of Pogostemon cablin Bentham water extract on inflammatory cytokine expression in TNBS-induced colitis in rats. Archives of pharmacal research, 37(2), 253-262.
• Inhalation of patchouli oil reduced constipation in mice.  From:  Mikuriya, N., Kim, Y., & Fujimura, K. (2004). The effect of the aroma of patchouli essential oil on defecation and constipation. Aroma Res, 5, 70-75.
• Patchouli was protective against gastro-intestinal trauma in vivo.  From:  Xie, Y., & Tang, F. (2009). Protective effect of Pogostemon cablin on membrane fluidity of intestinal epithelia cell in ischemia/reperfusion rats after ischemia/reperfusion. Zhongguo Zhong xi yi jie he za zhi Zhongguo Zhongxiyi jiehe zazhi= Chinese journal of integrated traditional and Western medicine, 29(7), 639-641.

SLEEP

• In a study of 14 stroke patients, a footbath and massage with juniper, lavender, rosemary, patchouli, and orange reduced stress, improved mood, increased body temperature, and improved sleeping satisfaction compared to the placebo.  From:  Lee, J. H., Seo, E. K., Shim, J. S., & Chung, S. P. (2017). The effects of aroma massage and foot bath on psychophysiological response in stroke patients. Journal of physical therapy science, 29(8), 1292-1296.

ANTI-NAUSEA

• Pogostemon cablin, and its components: patchouli alcohol, pogostol, stigmast-4-en-3-one, retusin, and pachypodol demonstrated anti-emetic (prevent vomiting) activity in chickens.  From:  Yang, Y., Kinoshita, K., Koyama, K., Takahashi, K., Tai, T., Nunoura, Y., & Watanabe, K. (1999). Anti-emetic principles of Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth. Phytomedicine, 6(2), 89-93.

LAXATIVE

• Inhalation of patchouli oil reduced constipation in mice.  From:  Mikuriya, N., Kim, Y., & Fujimura, K. (2004). The effect of the aroma of patchouli essential oil on defecation and constipation. Aroma Res, 5, 70-75.

CARDIAC HEALTH

• Patchouli reduced platelet aggregation.  From:  Tsai, Y. C., Hsu, H. C., Yang, W. C., Tsai, W. J., Chen, C. C., & Watanabe, T. (2007). α-Bulnesene, a PAF inhibitor isolated from the essential oil of Pogostemon cablin. Fitoterapia, 78(1), 7-11.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

• Pogostemon cablin had an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect in mice.  From:  Lu, T. C., Liao, J. C., Huang, T. H., Lin, Y. C., Liu, C. Y., Chiu, Y. J., & Peng, W. H. (2011). Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of the methanol extract from Pogostemon cablin. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2011.   ​
• Patchouli alcohol possessed potent anti-inflammatory activity in rat paw edema.  From:  Li, Y. C., Xian, Y. F., Ip, S. P., Su, Z. R., Su, J. Y., He, J. J., … & Lin, Z. X. (2011). Anti-inflammatory activity of patchouli alcohol isolated from Pogostemonis Herba in animal models. Fitoterapia, 82(8), 1295-1301.
• Beta patchoulene, a constituent in patchouli oil, reduced inflammation in mouse ear edema.  From:  Zhang, Z., Chen, X., Chen, H., Wang, L., Liang, J., Luo, D., … & Su, Z. (2016). Anti-inflammatory activity of β-patchoulene isolated from patchouli oil in mice. European journal of pharmacology, 781, 229-238.
• Patchouli alcohol showed anti-inflammatory activities in vitro.  From:  Xian, Y. F., Li, Y. C., Ip, S. P., Lin, Z. X., Lai, X. P., & Su, Z. R. (2011). Anti-inflammatory effect of patchouli alcohol isolated from Pogostemonis Herba in LPS-stimulated RAW264. 7 macrophages. Experimental and therapeutic medicine, 2(3), 545-550.
• Patchouli alcohol demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity in vitro.  From:  Jeong, J. B., Shin, Y. K., & Lee, S. H. (2013). Anti-inflammatory activity of patchouli alcohol in RAW264. 7 and HT-29 cells. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 55, 229-233.

ANALGESIC

• Patchouli oil showed antinociceptive and anti-allergy activity in vitro and in vivo.  From:  He, J. J., Chen, H. M., Li, C. W., Wu, D. W., Wu, X. L., Shi, S. J., … & Lai, X. P. (2013). Experimental study on antinociceptive and anti-allergy effects of patchouli oil. Journal of Essential Oil Research, 25(6), 488-496.

ANTI-ALLERGY

• Patchouli oil showed antinociceptive and anti-allergy activity in vitro and in vivo.  From:  He, J. J., Chen, H. M., Li, C. W., Wu, D. W., Wu, X. L., Shi, S. J., … & Lai, X. P. (2013). Experimental study on antinociceptive and anti-allergy effects of patchouli oil. Journal of Essential Oil Research, 25(6), 488-496.

ACNE

• Manuka, ylang ylang, vetiver, patchouli, cinnamon, and sandalwood essential oils provided varying noteworthy synergistic activities with other essential oils against microbes that cause acne in vitro.  From:  Orchard, A., van Vuuren, S. F., Viljoen, A. M., & Kamatou, G. (2018). The in vitro antimicrobial evaluation of commercial essential oils and their combinations against acne. International journal of cosmetic science, 40(3), 226-243.
• In this review of research, different essential oil blends were found in studies to by synergistically effective against the acne pathogens Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes. Blends that included manuka, vetiver, patchouli, cinnamon, and sandalwood were mentioned. From: Orchard, A., Van Vuuren, S. F., Viljoen, A. M., & Kamatou, G. (2018). The in vitro antimicrobial evaluation of commercial essential oils and their combinations against acne. International journal of cosmetic science, 40(3), 226-243.

ORAL HEALTH

• Against the oral bacteria: Streptococcus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus, the 13 most effective essential oils were: myrrh, ginger, basil, carrot seed, tea tree, patchouli, ylang ylang, cypress, lemongrass, cinnamon, peppermint, lavender, and eucalyptus. From: Park, C., & Yoon, H. (2018). Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oil against Oral Strain. International Journal of Clinical Preventive Dentistry, 14(4), 216-221.

By: Kathy Sadowski

Updated: 2/19/2020