Antimicrobial and antiviral activity

The antimicrobial effect of Immortelle essential oil and its components are the topic of many scientific researches. Ester extract H. italicum has an inhibiting effect on bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, it reduces their multiplication and reduces some of the enzymes that are considered as main factors of the virulence [30]. Studies from various origins proved the positive effects of Immortelle against different microorganisms [29,30,34,37,39,67].

Immortelle has a strong antiviral activity [36]. The Diethyl ether extract, obtained from the Immortelle flower heads, shows a significant activity against herpes simplex I virus [30]. Appenidino and associates researched the effect of Arzanol on the replication of HIV-1 virus in T-cells and concluded that Arzanol inhibits its replication [10].

Anti-inflammatory activity

Immortelle contains ketones and flavonoids which contribute to the reducing of the inflammatory response. Arzanol [11] is considered as the major anti-inflammatory component. Research results show the strong inhibitory effect of Arzanol towards proinflammatory mediators and inflammatory enzymes. Various studies show the positive activity of Immortelle against inflammations [10,13,16,18,50].

Antioxidant properties

Certain Immortelle flavonoid ingredients show an antioxidant activity which is closely related to its anti-inflammatory effects. Also, it is proved that Arzanol is a natural antioxidant with protective effects against lipid oxidation in biological systems. In many studies, the Immortelle positive antioxidant activity has been proved. [18,19,35,36,40,41].

Anti-haematoma action

Blood flow or hematoma is a build-up of blood outside blood vessels which appears because of internal bleeding. These places can be swollen, sensitive and mostly painful. Immortelle has a powerful effect which reduces hematoma, and Immortelle essential oil is one of the most effective in the treatment of hematoma. [18,30,50,68].

Regenerating effect

It is believed that Immortelle has the power to erase tracks of life on face (so called anti-aging effect, namely effect against aging). Thanks to that, it has a wide use in cosmetics, especially in creams for dry, old and sensitive skins. These properties are due to the high content of polyphenols, especially flavonoids which are known as antioxidants [13,21,28,48].

Antifungal activity

Immortelle is effective against the multiplication of fungi which can cause skin irritation, infections, and reduce wound healing. Different studies have proved the Immortelle positive antifungal activity [16,29].

Insecticidal activity

Some research works describe the Immortelle effect as a repellent means against insect bites and for insect control. Researches show that Immortelle essential oil causes Aedes albopictus mosquitoe mortality, by a concentration of 300 ppm with a mortality ranging from 98,3% to 100%. [38].

Other effects

Immortelle improves concentration and ensures light sleeping. It has a calming effect and positively acts on mood. It is an effective antidepressant. [42,43,44].

Among the mentionned properties for which detailed researches have been led, a whole range of other properties are mentionned in professionnal literature : anti-carcinogenic [45,46,47], cardioprotective [45], analgesic [16] [18], expectorant [16,49], mucolytic [16] and sedative effects [16].

As Immortelle products are not registered as products that heal diseases, a lot of traditional uses of this plant still do not have a deserved confirmation. Clinical investigations are needed for further confirmations of these informations and for the promotion of Immortelle as an important tool in the treatment of various diseases.

Anyway, critical analysis of traditional informations and scientific researches shown in this overview unveils that Immortelle medical options are way more wide than the uses which are confirmed by experimental works.