Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq. - Lamiaceae - Japanese catnip, jingjie (chin.), hyung-gae (kor.), Japanische Katzenminze

„ (+)-Pulegone and (−)-menthone, two p-menthane monoterpenes (limonene, menthofurane)… were determined as being the predominant constituents of the volatile oil, accounting for 85%~95% of total oils.“ Other compnents are 1-octen-3-ol, 3-octanone, β-myrcene and β-caryophyllene. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3210999/

„… volatie oil of Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq herb … significantly inhibited the expression of CD54, the activation of NF-kappaB p65, and the transcription of NF-kappaB p65 mRNA …, which may be its anti-inflammatory molecular mechanisms.“ [Effects of volatie oil of Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq herb and Saposhnikovia divaricata Schischke root on proinflammatory cytokine expression and regulation. Ge WH, Guo JY, Shen YJ, Chen ML, Shi SL, Han YH, Lin J., Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2007 Sep;32(17):1777-9]

„Schizonepeta tenuifolia (Korean name “Hyung-Gae”) is an oriental medicinal plant that is widely used in Korea, China and Japan. S. tenuifolia (Hyung-Gae) has many pharmacological activities and is mostly used for many medicinal preparations. The dried aerial part (spikes and stems) of three oriental medicinal plants, S. tenuifolia (Hyung-Gae), Agastache rugosa (Kwhak-Hyang) and Elsholtzia ciliata (Hyang-Yoo) belonging to the same family, mint family Labiaceae, have such similar shape and smell that it is difficult to differentiate between them.“ [Molecular identification of oriental medicinal plant Schizonepeta tenuifolia bunge (Hyung-Gae) by multiplex PCR. Baigalmaa Jigden, Hongtao Wang, Yeon-Ju Kim, Narantuya Samdan, Jun-Gyo In, Deok Chun Yang, Plant Biotechnology Reports, 2010, Volume 4 (3) 223-228]

„Historically, Schizonepeta tenuifolia (ST) has been used for the treatment of skin disorders, such as allergic dermatitis, eczema, and inflammatory diseases. In this study, we examined whether ST inhibited 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis (AD) in BALB/c mice… ST extract application decreased both epidermis and dermis thickness in DNCB-induced mice. In serum, ST reduced immunoglobulin E, tumor necrosis factor, and interleukin 6 level. In addition, ST suppressed NF-κB activation as well as the mitogen-activated protein kinase activities.“
[Schizonepeta tenuifolia inhibits the development of atopic dermatitis in mice., Choi, Y. Y., Kim, M. H., Kim, J. H., Jung, H. S., Sohn, Y., Choi, Y. J., Yang, W. M., Phytotherapy Research, 27(8), 2013, 1131-1135]