RestAid™ - Clinical Trials

RestAid™ - Clinical Trials:

The calming and anti-stress effects of lemon balm extract are acknowledged by the scientific world today. The Anti-stress activity of Cyracos® was demonstrated in a clinical study carried out on 30 persons. A clinical study carried out on 30 persons from 18 to 70 years old scientifically showed the Anti-stress Action of Cyracos®. Two groups of volunteers demonstrating symptoms of anxiety and suffering from sleep disturbances were observed. The first group was supplemented with 300 mg of Cyracos® twice daily while the second group was given a placebo. To rapidly validate the effects of the extract, subjects were supplemented for only 15 successive days at a high dosage.

After 2 weeks of supplementation, the following was noted in the group consuming Cyracos® (see figure):

- a reduction of 49% in the signs of anxiety;
- a reduction of 72% of stress associated symptoms;
- a reduction of 39% of insomnia.

19 parameters were measured to assess the state of general stress.

A significant reduction of the signs of anxiety is recorded on those supplemented. Moreover, Cyracos® is able to reduce in a significant manner symptoms linked to stress such as:
- weight problems,
- asthenia,
- muscular contractions,
- mental confusion,
- guilt feelings or inferiority feelings,
- psychosomatic disturbances.

Regarding demonstrations of anxiety, as for associated symptoms and insomnia, no significant change was noticed in the placebo group.
Finally, this study showed that supplementation in Cyracos® gave no side effects; also no drowsiness was noticed in the supplemented individual’s.

Cyracos® significantly reduces the state of stress and associated symptoms without showing any side effects.

Several studies performed on animals showed that lemon balm extract is able to reduce the restless state of the animals in a significant way. The results of these studies also record a significant reduction of the falling asleep phase, when the animals are subjected to very weak doses of sleeping drugs.

Moreover, the effectiveness of lemon balm extract was compared to other plant extracts. Results show that lemon balm extract is the most efficient against the restlessness of animals by a long shot. As an example, the figure below represents the reduction of the activity of mice supplemented with lemon balm extracts (in doses of 12 and 50 mg/kg), with passiflora or with valerian (in doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg), plants well-known for their anxiolytic properties.

Note that lemon balm is widely more active than passionflower or valerian, with distinctly lower doses. Other studies were accomplished on humans and confirm results recorded on animals. Further results record the following, after a supplementation of 600 mg per day of lemon balm extract:
- significant increase of calm in the individual;
- a significant reduction in the state of anxiety.
None of these studies reported any side effects regarding the supplementation of lemon balm extract.

In conclusion:

- lemon balm extract is effective against the state of stress,
- it does not affect the cognitive capacities of the studied individuals.

Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie, Université de Metz, France.

A lyophilized hydroalcoholic extract of Melissa officinalis L. has been evaluated for behavioral effects in mice. According to the traditional use of M. officinalis, sedative properties have been confirmed for low doses by the decrease of behavioral parameters measured in a non-familiar environment test (staircase test) and in a familiar environment test (two compartment test). With high doses, a peripheral analgesic activity was obtained by reducing the acetic acid-induced pain (writhing test); moreover, the plant extract induced the sleep in mice after treatment with an infrahypnotic dose of pentobarbital and potentialised the sleep induced by a hypnotic dose of pentobarbital. (1)

Human Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Division of Psychology, University of Northumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) is contemporaneously used as a mild sedative and/or calming agent. Although recent research has demonstrated modulation of mood in keeping with these roles, no studies to date have directly investigated the effects of this herbal medication on laboratory-induced psychological stress. METHODS: In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, balanced crossover experiment, 18 healthy volunteers received two separate single doses of a standardized M. officinalis extract (300 mg, 600 mg) and a placebo, on separate days separated by a 7-day washout period. Modulation of mood was assessed during predose and 1-hour postdose completions of a 20-minute version of the Defined Intensity Stressor Simulation (DISS) battery. Cognitive performance on the four concurrent tasks of the battery was also assessed. RESULTS: The results showed that the 600-mg dose of Melissa ameliorated the negative mood effects of the DISS, with significantly increased self-ratings of calmness and reduced self-ratings of alertness. In addition, a significant increase in the speed of mathematical processing, with no reduction in accuracy, was observed after ingestion of the 300-mg dose.
CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the potential for M. officinalis to mitigate the effects of stress deserves further investigation. (2)

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Trg D. Obradovica 3, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The present study describes antimicrobial and free radical scavenging capacity (RSC) together with the effects on lipid peroxidation (LP) of Melissa officinalis essential oil. The chemical profile of essential oil was evaluated by the means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC). RSC was assessed measuring the scavenging activity of essential oil on the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH(*)) and OH(*) radicals. The effect on LP was evaluated following the activities on Fe(2+)/ascorbate and Fe(2+)/H(2)O(2) systems of induction. The antimicrobial activity was tested against 13 bacterial strains and six fungi. The examined essential oil exhibited very strong RSC, reducing the DPPH radical formation (IC(50) = 7.58 microg/mL) and OH radical generation (IC(50) = 1.74 microg/mL) in a dose-dependent manner. According to the GC-MS and TLC (dot-blot techniques), the most powerful scavenging compounds were monoterpene aldehydes and ketones (neral/geranial, citronellal, isomenthone, and menthone) and mono- and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (E-caryophyllene). Very strong inhibition of LP, particularly in the Fe(2+)/H(2)O(2) system of induction (94.59% for 2.13 microg/mL), was observed in both cases, also in a dose-dependent manner. The most effective antibacterial activity was expressed on a multiresistant strain of Shigella sonei. A significant rate of antifungal activity was exhibited on Trichophyton species. (3)

Herpes simplex is a common viral infection of the skin or mucous membranes. The lesions caused by this infection are often painful, burning, or pruritic, and tend to recur in most patients. Short-term treatment with acyclovir can accelerate the healing of an acute outbreak, and continuous acyclovir therapy is often prescribed for people with frequent recurrences. While this drug can reduce the recurrence rate by 60-90 percent, it can also cause a wide array of side effects, including renal failure, hepatitis, and anaphylaxis. Safe and effective alternatives are therefore needed. There is evidence that certain dietary modifications and natural substances may be useful for treating active Herpes simplex lesions or preventing recurrences. Treatments discussed include lysine, vitamin C, zinc, vitamin E, adenosine monophosphate, and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). (4)

It is important to say that two lemon balm extracts can vary from one to another – in terms of composition, but also activity – due to the number of factors intervening in the course of their manufacture.

Furthermore, in the case of lemon balm extract, we follow a delicate manufacturing process in order to preserve all the active constituents of the plant.

It appears therefore fundamental to validate the effectiveness of this extract.

This is why Berkem wanted to prove and to validate the effectiveness of Cyracos®, a natural lemon balm extract, on humans.