Tuesday July 29, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- Iranian scientists published a review in Avicenna J Phytomed. suggesting that Otostegia persica is an excellent treatment for a number of chronic diseases including metabolic diseases, chronic inflammatory disease and blood conditions like high blood pressure.

Otostegia persica Boiss was found reputed for treating diabetes mellitus, arthritis, gastric conditions, headache, rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure and high cholesterol and blood fat.

The studies used for the reviews published between 2003 and 2013 and sorted out from the major databases including databases SCOPUS, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Science Direct.

Otostegia persica Boiss. (Lamiaceae), is an endemic medicinal plant commonly seen and used in south and southeast of Iran. 

Several types of diterpenoids and flavonols such as morin, kaempferol, and quercetin have been identified in the plant.  Evidence suggests that flavonoids are responsible for its antimicrobioal antioxidant activities.  The plant possesses also anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anti-aphid, and hepatoprotective activities.  (David Liu)

Reference: Sadeghi Z, Akaberi M, Valizadeh J.  Otostegia persica (Lamiaceae): A review on its ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and pharmacology.  Avicenna J Phytomed. 2014 Mar;4(2):79-88.