• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.69-76
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• 2017

The following summarizes the findings from an analysis of literature and 21 versions of the Bible published in Korea, China, and Japan to discuss the name of Myrtus communis. Myrtus communis was an important tree symbolizing love and resurrection since the Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Judas, Greece, Ancient Rome, and Medieval Spain. In the Bible, Myrtus ($h{\acute{a}}das$) was used to make the booths at the Feast of Tabernacles or for various ceremonies. Myrtus symbolized the people of Israel and also symbolized peace, appreciation, indestructibility, and resurrection. In the Bible of Korea, China, and Japan, Myrtus was translated into various names by time, such as '崗拈樹', '千里香', '鳥拈', '番石榴', 桃金孃, Gamtangnamu, Seoglyunamu, Hwaseoglyu, Sogwinamu. 'Myrtle' was translated into '桃金孃' based on Japan's "熟語本位 英和中?典(1915)" and it seems that the mistake was directly excerpted by the English-Korean Dictionary(1949) after the Liberation. According to the theory of 'Dynamic Equivalence' in translation, it would be best to use 'Myrtus' was the official name of Myrtus communis.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.220-229
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• 2020

Objectives: Although Acne vulgaris is a chronic skin disease, which its standard treatment causes therapeutic limitations and some common adverse effects, medicinal plants can be effective in treatment with low adverse effects as combination therapy. Myrtle (Myrtus Communis) has some beneficial properties, which has been administered topically and orally for some skin diseases in Persian medicine. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of Myrtle formula and 1% clindamycin topical solution. Methods: This was a split-face clinical trial that was done on 55 patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris for 16 weeks. The patients received topical Myrtle solution to the right side of the face (group 1) and clindamycin solution to the left side (group 2) twice daily for 12 weeks. All participants were examined for the acne severity index (ASI) and total acne lesions counting (TLC) at certain times during the study. Then, they stopped using them for four weeks. They also did not take the drug in the final four weeks of the study. Results: Forty-eight patients completed the study for 16 weeks; 40 (83.2%) patients were female and the rest of them were male. The mean age and standard deviation were 25.62 ± 7.62 years. After 12 weeks, the percentage changes of comedones, inflammatory lesions, ASI and TLC were significantly reduced in both groups (p < 0.001). The percentage change of inflammatory lesions and ASI decrease was significantly higher in the group 1 (p = 0.03). There was no significant difference in the incidence of side effects between the two groups. There was a more significant decrease in sebum percentage change in the group 1 (p = 0.003). Conclusion: Myrtle lotion was effective and safe for the treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2015

Plants used for traditional medicine contain a wide range of substances that can be used to treat various diseases such as infectious diseases. The present study was designed to evaluate the antileishmanial effects of the essential oil and methanolic extract of Myrtus communis against Leishmania tropica on an in vitro model. Antileishmanial effects of essential oil and methanolic extract of M. communis on promastigote forms and their cytotoxic activities against J774 cells were evaluated using MTT assay for 72 hr. In addition, their leishmanicidal activity against amastigote forms was determined in a macrophage model, for 72 hr. Findings showed that the main components of essential oil were ${\alpha}$-pinene (24.7%), 1,8-cineole (19.6%), and linalool (12.6%). Findings demonstrated that M. communis, particularly its essential oil, significantly (P<0.05) inhibited the growth rate of promastigote and amastigote forms of L. tropica based on a dose-dependent response. The $IC_{50}$ values for essential oil and methanolic extract was 8.4 and $28.9{\mu}g/ml$ against promastigotes, respectively. These values were 11.6 and $40.8{\mu}g/ml$ against amastigote forms, respectively. Glucantime as control drug also revealed $IC_{50}$ values of 88.3 and $44.6{\mu}g/ml$ for promastigotes and amastigotes of L. tropica, respectively. The in vitro assay demonstrated no significant cytotoxicity in J774 cells. However, essential oil indicated a more cytotoxic effect as compared with the methanolic extract of M. communis. The findings of the present study demonstrated that M. communis might be a natural source for production of a new leishmanicidal agent.