Lemongrass as an herb has been used for centuries for its positive health effects. In Ayurvedic medicine, it has been used for relief of menstrual discomfort and nausea. The fresh grass is used in indigenous medicine systems around the world. Recently, the essential oil has been the subject of scientific studies regarding its effects on cancer cells. One of the features of cancer cells is the upset of natural cell death. Lemongrass appears to be effective as a form of chemotherapy, causing cell death to occur as it should: “Our results indicate that the oil has a promising anticancer activity and causes loss in tumor cell viability by activating the apoptotic process”. These studies indicate that Lemongrass essential oil, with its low toxicity, has the potential of being an inexpensive ‘alternative’ treatment in the future.
Several essential oils have been investigated for their anti-cancer effects, most notably Frankincense, Lemongrass, and the common constituent “linalool”, which adds a sweetness to many essential oil varieties. In one study, human cancer cell lines were examined for their susceptability to lemongrass essential oil as a chemotherapeutic agent. In-vivo analysis was also performed using tumor models in mice — which further enhances the investigation by not only providing an in-vitro (test tube) analysis. A previous study examined the cause of cancer cell death, particularly of human leukemia HL-60 cells. The cause of death was determined to be the formation of reactive oxygen species (free radicals) and a loss of mitochondrial membrane stability — leading to a loss of abiltiy of the cells to make their own energy and to defend themselves against oxidative radicals formed during natural metabolic processes.