Spasmolytic Action of the Essential Oil from Hyssopus officinalis L. var. decumbens and Its Major Components

Hyssopus officinalis L. var. decumbens (Lamiaceae) is a plant growing in Provence, France. Our recent studies show that the essential oil obtained from its aerial parts has in vitro antimicrobial activity, due mainly to one of its chemical components, linalool (Mazzanti et al., in press). Several essential oils, including those obtained from some Lamiaceae (Mentha piperita L., Salvia officinalis L. and Rosmarinus officinalis L.) possess spasmolytic action (Cabo et al., 1986; Taddei et al., 1988; De la Puerta and Herrera, 1995), which accounts for their use in relieving gastrointestinal spasms (Rees et al., 1979; Leicester and Hunt, 1982).