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. 2024 Oct 18;16(20):3545. doi: 10.3390/nu16203545

Table 5.

Key characteristics of included experimental trials using lemon balm and botanical combinations across the lifespan.

Citation Design Participants Intervention Design Method Findings
No. Age Population Duration Intervention
(E: Experimental Group, C: Control Group)
Cases et al.
(2011) [67]		 Open-label
pilot 		20 18–70 Healthy with mild anxiety and sleep problems (DSM-IV-TR) 15 days E: 2 × 0.3 g lemon
balm capsules/d
(n = 20)

Phytochemical screening of lemon balm: 7.95 ± 0.29% RA; 18.5 ± 0.63% total hydroxycinnamates; flavonoids, including 0.23 ± 0.01% hesperidin, 0.46 ± 0.04% luteolin-3-glucuronide, and 0.69 ± 0.04% total flavonoids; triterpenes, including 0.22 ± 0.03 oleanolic acid and 0.64 ± 0.09% ursolic acid		 d 0 and 15:
Sleep & stress assessments: FRSA (anxiety manifestations
and symptoms), HDRS
(insomnia)

Clinical improvement
for anxiety and sleep assessment:
CGI-I ≤ 2

Tolerability: Verbal reports of AEs		 Group E (at d 20 compared to d 0):

  • ↓ Agitation as one anxiety manifestation

  • ↓ Eating problems, ↓ feelings of guilt, and ↓ feelings of inferiority as some anxiety-associated symptoms

  • ↓ Initial insomnia and middle insomnia

  • ↑ Clinical improvement in anxiety recurrence and/or sleep problems

  • No reported AEs

  • Dropouts (n = 0)
Chehroudi
et al. (2017) [68]		 Double-blind
RCT 		36 n.d. Hospitalised 2nd- and 3rd-degree burns 20 days E: 2 × 2.5 g lemon
balm tea/d (n = 18)
C: 2 × 2.5 g black
tea/d (n = 18)		 d 0 and 20:
Sleep & mood assessments: BDI (depression),
Kettle’s (anxiety) and
PSQI (sleep quality)
Serum antioxidants:
5 mL 		Group E (at d 20 compared to Group C):

  • ↓ Anxiety

  • ↓ Depression

  • ↑ Sleep quality

  • Homogenous serum antioxidant levels

  • Dropouts (not mentioned)
Lotfi et al.
(2019) [69]		 Single-blind
RCT (only participant blinded)		 94 20–75 ACS with co-morbid anxiety symptoms 3 days E: 2 × 3 drops lemon balm oil/d (n = 45)
C: 2 × 3 drops odourless sesame placebo oil/d (n = 47)

All treatments were applied to a cloth and attached to participant clothing for 30 min twice a day for 3 days 		Baseline
measurements:
olfactory test
with coffee sniffing

d 0, 2, and 3:
Anxiety measurements: STAI (state and trait anxiety)		 Group E (at d 3 compared to Group C):

  • ↓ Anxiety

  • Drop-outs (n = 2)
Lotfi et al.
(2020) [70]		 Single-blind
RCT (only participant blinded)		 92 20–75 ACS with co-morbid sleep problems 3 days E: 2 × 3 drops lemon balm oil/d (n = 45)
C: 2 × 3 drops odourless sesame placebo oil/d (n = 47)

All treatments were applied to a cloth and attached to participant clothing for 30 min twice a day for 3 days 		Baseline
measurements:
Olfactory test with
coffee sniffing

D1 and 3:
Sleep assessment:
VSH (sleep quality)
in 3 subscales, sleep disorder (0–700 points), sleep efficacy (0–500 points), and daytime napping (0–400 points)		 Group E (at d 3 compared to Group C):

  • ↓ Sleep disorders

  • ↑ Sleep efficacy

  • ↓ Daytime napping

  • Dropouts (n = 2)

ACS, acute coronary syndrome; BDI, Beck’s Depression Inventory; FRSA, Free Rating Scale for Anxiety; HDRS, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale; Kettles, Kettles Anxiety Scale; STAI, Spielberger State–Trait Anxiety Inventory; PSQI, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; VSH, Verran–Snyder-Halpern Scale; ↑, increased; ↓, decreased.