Muña
 

– (leaf) – (tops) – Minthostachys setosa – From the temperate zones of South America, this medium-sized herbaceous plant is an excellent carminative (dispels gas accumulation in the stomach) and general aid to the digestive system for stomach acid, indigestion, bacterial diarrhea, colic, as an anthelmintic (removes parasites), and an aphrodisiac. It is antispasmodic and anti-infl ammatory. It has also been used traditionally, to regulate menstruation, nervous trembling, and heart beat, to clean the intestines, reduce fever, and reduce swelling. Muna was used by the Incas for respiratory problems when drank with honey. It serves as a bronchial dilator and expectorant, making it an excellent alternative for the treatment of bronchial asthma. Recent studies show it to be effective against Chagas Disease, most common to South America, but now rarely found in North America.

1 oz. liquid extract

Research References

• Determination of the antibacterial and antiviral activity of the essential oil from
  Minthostachys verticillata (Griseb.) Epling][Article in Spanish]
  Primo V, Rovera M, Zanon S, Oliva M, Demo M, Daghero J, Sabini L.
  Departamento de Microbiologia e Inmunologia, Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto, Ruta Nacional No 36 km 601,5800 Rio Cuarto, Pcia. de Cordoba, Argentina. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .arRev Argent Microbiol. 2001 Apr- Jun;33(2):113-7.
• Immunomodulating properties of Minthostachys verticillata on human lymphocytes and basophils.
  Gonzalez Pereyra ML, Cariddi LN, Ybarra F, Isola MC, Demo MS, Sabini L, Maldonado AM.
  Departamento de Microbiologia e Inmunologia, Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto, Provincia Cordoba, Argentina. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  Rev Alerg Mex. 2005 May-Jun;52(3):105-12.
• Uso De Plantas Medidinales En El Tratamiento Del Asma Bronquial
  Autores: Martha Villar López* & Oscar Villavicencio Vargas* Miembros del Grupo de Asistencia e Investigación Médica del Instituto Peruano de Investigación Fitoterápica (IPIFA) e integrantes del Área Médica dela Asociación TARPUY Artes, Ciencias y Letras & Médica residenta, Medicina, Hospital Loayza de Lima.
• Insecticidal activity against Aedes aegypti larvae of some medicinal South American plants.
  Ciccia G, Coussio J, Mongelli E.
  Catedra de Microbiologia Industrial y Biotecnologia, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquimica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junin 956 (1113) Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  J Ethnopharmacol. 2000 Sep;72(1-2):185-9.
• Chemical constituents of essential oils of muna, Bolivian plants traditionally used as pesticides, and their insecticidal properties against Chagas’ disease vectors.
  Fournet A, Rojas de Arias A, Charles B, Bruneton J.
  Institut Francais de Recherche Scientifi que pour le Developpement en Cooperation (O.R.S.T.O.M.) UR-45, Asuncion, Paraguay.
  J Ethnopharmacol. 1996 Jul 5;52(3):145-9.

Selected Referenced Articles from Above with Abstracts

• Determination of the antibacterial and antiviral activity of the essential oil from Minthostachys verticillata (Griseb.) Epling][Article in Spanish]
  Primo V, Rovera M, Zanon S, Oliva M, Demo M, Daghero J, Sabini L.
  Departamento de Microbiologia e Inmunologia, Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto, Ruta Nacional No 36 km 601,
  5800 Rio Cuarto, Pcia. de Cordoba, Argentina. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  Rev Argent Microbiol. 2001 Apr-Jun;33(2):113-7.
  The in vitro antiviral activity of the essential oil from Minthostachys verticillata was investigated against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and pseudorabies virus (PrV). The viral inhibition was assayed employing viral plaque reduction assay. The antiviral activity of the essential oil specifi cally affects PrV and HSV-1 multiplication, since it was found that non toxic effects on cells were observed at the concentrations assayed. The therapeutic index values were 10.0 and 9.5 for HSV-1 and PrV, respectively. The antibacterial activity was studied using a diffusion assay and the broth tube dilution method. Gram-positive bacteria were more sensitive to inhibition by plant essential oil than the gram-negative bacteria. The essential oil of M. verticillata was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) technique. Of the six components identifi ed in the volatile oil, pulegone (44.56%) and menthone (39.51%) were the major constituents. The antimicrobial activity can be explained to some extent by the presence of pulegone. Results suggest that further investigations concerning the isolation of the substance responsible for the antimicrobial activity and an effort to defi ne the mechanisms of action are warranted.
  PMID: 11494754 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
• Immunomodulating properties of Minthostachys verticillata on human lymphocytes and basophils.
  Gonzalez Pereyra ML, Cariddi LN, Ybarra F, Isola MC, Demo MS, Sabini L, Maldonado AM.
  Departamento de Microbiologia e Inmunologia, Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto, Provincia de Cordoba, Argentina.
  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  Rev Alerg Mex. 2005 May-Jun;52(3):105-12.
  BACKGROUND: Minthostachys verticillata (Griseb.) Epling is a South American traditional medicinal herb used as digestive, anti-spasmodic, anti-infl ammatory and bronchial dilator agent among other uses. Its anti-microbial activity against staphylococcal strains and its anti-viral properties against HVS-1 and strain RC/79 of PrV have been demonstrated. OBJECTIVE: To determine the immunomodulating ability of M. verticillata decoction and essential oil. As a complementary study, the main constituents of the essential oil were identifi ed.
• Uso De Plantas Medidinales En El Tratamiento Del Asma Bronquial
  Autores: Martha Villar López* & Oscar Villavicencio Vargas* Miembros del Grupo de Asistencia e Investigación
  Médica del Instituto Peruano de Investigación Fitoterápica (IPIFA) e integrantes del Área Médica dela Asociación
  TARPUY Artes, Ciencias y Letras & Médica residenta,
  Medicina, Hospital Loayza de Lima.
  A retrospective study was carried out on a 100 patients with bronchial asthma treated with medical herbs in the