Identification and pharmacognostic control of the species: <em>Mentha x villosa, Lippia alba, Cymbopogon citratus</em> and <em>Melissa officinalis</em>

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants often symbolizes the only therapeutic resource of a community or group of people to establish quality of life and health, as they have bioactive compounds with therapeutic properties, there is a vast amount of plants spread throughout the territory, present in open markets, markets, and beyond the residential backyards. Popular observations on the use of medicinal plants are relevant to therapeutic action, even though we are not aware of all of its components. It emphasizes the care that must be taken with the identification of the desired species, the part that will be used, such as a flower, fruit, leaf, stem or root, as it can cause serious intoxication or poisoning. The main purpose of this study was to study the secondary metabolites of the species Mentha x villosa, Lippia alba, Cymbopogon citratus and Melissa officinalis, in addition to the quantification of their chemical and antimicrobial properties. The samples were acquired from desiccated leaves where tests were performed to determine moisture, total ash and acid-insoluble, showed the presence of cardiotonics, flavonoids, anthraquinones, saponins, alkaloids, tannins and antibacterial properties, as well as the quantification of the content of total flavonoids as a quality control reference for the species described above.