A review study of therapeutic effects of Myrtus communis

摘要

Myrtus, with the common name myrtle is a genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. The aim of this study was to review its therapeutic effects effects. This review article was carried out by searching studies in PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, and Iran Medex databases .The initial search strategy identified about 128 references. In this study, 113 studies was accepted for further screening and met all our inclusion criteria [in English, full text, therapeutic effects of Myrtus, and dated mainly from the year 1964 to 2015.The search terms were “Myrtus, “therapeutic properties”, “pharmacological effects”. It is commonly used for anti-bacterial effect, anti-anxiety effect, anti-acne vulgaris, antioxidant effects, antifungal and herbicidal effects, antileishmanial and cytotoxic effects, repellency effect, antifungal, anti-biofilm and adhesion activity, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties, anti-cancer effect, scolicidal effects, gastrointestinal effect ,facial warts effects. Myrtus. is widely used for therapeutic and non-therapeutic purposes that trigger its significant value. Various combinations and numerous medicinal properties of its extract, oil, and leaves demand further and more studies about the other useful and unknown properties of this multipurpose plant.