Introduction of Olive Leaf:Olea europa or Oleae folium.
✵The article gives records of the herb Olive Leaf, its English name, Latin name, common names, property and flavor, its botanical source one plant species, ①.Olea europa var.europaea., with a detailed introduction to the botanical features of this plant species, the growth characteristics, and ecological environment of this plant species, the features of the herb Olive Leaf, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.
Olive Leaf(Olea europa).
English Name: Olive Leaf.
Latin Name: Olea europa var.europaea.
Common Names: Lucca, Oleae folium, Olive Tree, olivier.
Property and flavor: specific.
Brief introduction: The leathery leaf of this ancient olive tree, an evergreen, the dried leaves, the oil extracted from the ripe drupes, and the fresh branches containing leaves and clusters of flowers are used medicinally.
Botanical source: Common herbal classics defined the herb Olive Leaf as the leaves of the species (1).Olea europa var.europaea. It is a plant species of the Olea L. genus, the Oleaceae family (olive family). The leaves and oil are used medicinally. This commonly used species is introduced:
(1).Olea europa var.europaea.
Botanical description: Olive grows as a medium-high shrub or a tree up to 10 meters high. The plant has pale bark and canelike, quadrangular to round, initially downy, thorny, or thornless branches. The leaves are opposite, entire, stiff, coriaceous, narrow-elliptical to lanceolate, or cordate with thorny tips. The upper surface is dark green, glabrous, or covered with scattered scutiform hairs, the underside shimmers silver with scutiform hairs.
The flowers are in small axillary clustered inflorescence. The calyx has 4 tips. The white corolla has a short tube and 4 lobes. The superior ovary is bilocular, with each side having 2 hanging anatropal ovules. The drupe has 1 to 2 seeds and is pulpose, plumlike, or round. The smooth drupe is initially green, then red, and finally, blue-black when ripe. The very hard stone contains oblong, compact seeds with many endosperms.
The fruit is oval, 1.6~2.5 cm long, 1~2 cm in diameter, and blue-black when ripe. The flowering period is from April to May, and the fruiting period is from June to September.
Ecological environment: The plant may be native to Asia Minor, and then widely planted in the Mediterranean region, with Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Morocco, and Albania as the concentrated producing areas, the plant grows in almost all the southern European countries and throughout the entire Mediterranean region as far as Iran and beyond the Caucasus. Olive trees are now cultivated in subtropical regions of the world.
Growth characteristics: Olea europa likes hot summer with sufficient sunlight, a warm and humid environment in winter, enough low temperature and water to meet the requirements of flower bud differentiation, and weak drought tolerance. Its optimum growth temperature is 18~24 °C (Celsius, or 64.4~75.2 degrees Fahrenheit). If the temperature does not change suddenly, the general variety can endure the low temperature of -10~-8 °C (Celsius, or 14~17.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in the dormant state, and some varieties can endure -15~-12 °C (Celsius, or 5~10.4 degrees Fahrenheit) or even short-term severe cold of -17 °C (Celsius, or 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit) but fear drastic climate change. It is not very strict on soil requirements and can grow on sandy soil, loamy soil, and clay soil, but the most suitable is neutral or slightly alkaline soil containing gravel. Planting on acidic soils requires the addition of lime. The plant does not grow well on heavy, poorly drained soils.
Characters of herbs: Olive leaves are the fresh or dried leaves of Olea europeae. The leaves are harvested from cultivated trees and dried in the shade.
Pharmacological actions: ①.reduce high blood pressure and antihypertensive effect; ②.reduce blood sugar levels and hypoglycemic effect; ③.diuretic properties; ④.antioxidant action; ⑤.antimicrobial; ⑥.anticomplement effects; ⑦.antimicrobial effect; ⑧.relieve herpes; ⑨.fever-lowering action, ⑩.improve skin health, etc.
The decoctions or tinctures of olive leaf help reduce high blood pressure. Olive leaf extract has an antihypertensive effect in patients with essential arterial hypertension.
Olive leaf extracts can reduce blood sugar levels in animals with chemically induced diabetes, and olive leaf extracts have also shown diuretic properties.
Olive leaves show antioxidant properties, antioxidants control the formation of dangerous substances in the body called free radicals, and free radicals damage cells through oxidation and may contribute to cancer cell formation. Olive leaf flavonoids possess antioxidant activity. Other components with antioxidant activity is also identifed, such as a triterpene derivative maslinic acid.
Olive leaf decoction has anti-inflammatory activity and anti-complement effect, the activity is identified as attributed to several flavonoids. Its components oleuropin and hydroxytyrosol had an impact on inflammation in bones, olive polyphenols appear to reduce inflammation-mediated bone loss, one of the elements that affects older people and leads to osteoporosis.
The olive leaf has antimicrobial effect against bacteria and fungi, olive leaf water extract killed almost all bacteria in test, it also inhibits dermatophytes, kill Candida albicans, Escherichia coli. Olive leaf extract inhibits acute infection and cell-to-cell transmission of HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus type 1).
The olive leaf has been recommended to many patients with herpes, and its results are encouraging, in past studies all reported symptomatic relief.
Olive leaf has fever-lowering action, it is extremely effective in reducing fevers and it was used in the 19th century to eliminate fever.
Improve skin health: olive leaf improve skin health and healing the skin, it is an antiseptic and astringent ingredient when applied to the skin, and when used internally it helps to lower fever, blood pressure and improves kidney function.
Medicinal efficacy: Olive leaf formulations have been recommended as diuretics and antihypertensives, to reduce blood sugar levels to help manage diabetes. The leaves have long been used externally to treat wounds. In folk medicine, olive leaves are used for hypertonia, arteriosclerosis, rheumatism and gout, diabetes mellitus, and fever.
Olive branch has symbolized peace and prosperity since biblical times, and the meaty olive has served as a source of culinary pleasure and precious oil for centuries.
Administration of Olive Leaf (Olea europa):
Reference:
Administration Guide of Olive Leaf (Olea europa)
Herbal classic books:
Dosage: An infusion of olive leaves is prepared by pouring 150 ml of hot water over 7~8 grams of the dried leaves. Prepare a tea by pouring hot water over 2 teaspoonfuls of the herb and allowing it to steep for 30 minutes. Teas are recommended for 3 to 4 cups throughout the day.
Contraindications, Precautions and Adverse Reactions:Significant adverse reactions have not been associated with the use of olive leaf preparations. Because leaf preparations may irritate the stomach lining, they should always be taken after meals. The internal use of olive leaf can trigger colic among gallstone suffers, so its use is contraindicated.
Some people experience what is known as herxheimers reaction, this is a detoxification reaction and not a counteraction to the product. A few individuals have reported a slight headache due to detoxification. If this should occur, any common pain reliever seems to work to curb the discomfort.
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1.Introduction of Olive Leaf:Olea europa or Oleae folium.
✵The article gives records of the herb Olive Leaf, its English name, Latin name, common names, property and flavor, its botanical source one plant species, ①.Olea europa var.europaea., with a detailed introduction to the botanical features of this plant species, the growth characteristics, and ecological environment of this plant species, the features of the herb Olive Leaf, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.
English Name: Olive Leaf.
Botanical description: Olive grows as a medium-high shrub or a tree up to 10 meters high. The plant has pale bark and canelike, quadrangular to round, initially downy, thorny, or thornless branches. The leaves are opposite, entire, stiff, coriaceous, narrow-elliptical to lanceolate, or cordate with thorny tips. The upper surface is dark green, glabrous, or covered with scattered scutiform hairs, the underside shimmers silver with scutiform hairs.
Ecological environment: The plant may be native to Asia Minor, and then widely planted in the Mediterranean region, with Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Morocco, and Albania as the concentrated producing areas, the plant grows in almost all the southern European countries and throughout the entire Mediterranean region as far as Iran and beyond the Caucasus. Olive trees are now cultivated in subtropical regions of the world.
Growth characteristics: Olea europa likes hot summer with sufficient sunlight, a warm and humid environment in winter, enough low temperature and water to meet the requirements of flower bud differentiation, and weak drought tolerance. Its optimum growth temperature is 18~24 °C (Celsius, or 64.4~75.2 degrees Fahrenheit). If the temperature does not change suddenly, the general variety can endure the low temperature of -10~-8 °C (Celsius, or 14~17.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in the dormant state, and some varieties can endure -15~-12 °C (Celsius, or 5~10.4 degrees Fahrenheit) or even short-term severe cold of -17 °C (Celsius, or 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit) but fear drastic climate change. It is not very strict on soil requirements and can grow on sandy soil, loamy soil, and clay soil, but the most suitable is neutral or slightly alkaline soil containing gravel. Planting on acidic soils requires the addition of lime. The plant does not grow well on heavy, poorly drained soils.
Characters of herbs: Olive leaves are the fresh or dried leaves of Olea europeae. The leaves are harvested from cultivated trees and dried in the shade.
Pharmacological actions: ①.reduce high blood pressure and antihypertensive effect; ②.reduce blood sugar levels and hypoglycemic effect; ③.diuretic properties; ④.antioxidant action; ⑤.antimicrobial; ⑥.anticomplement effects; ⑦.antimicrobial effect; ⑧.relieve herpes; ⑨.fever-lowering action, ⑩.improve skin health, etc.
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