The concentration of Rosmarinic Acid, the main active ingredient in Lemon Balm Extract, can be 6%-9%, and antioxidant activity (ORAC value) is up to 12,500 μmol TE/g, 2.3 times as high as that of vitamin C. A double-blind trial in Phytomedicine in 2022 showed that anxious patients who consumed 600 mg Lemon Balm Extract daily had a 34% decrease in Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) score, a 28% decrease in salivary cortisol, and a 22-minute decrease in sleep latency. Sleep efficiency improved by 18%. Studies have also shown that flavonoids such as luteolin inhibit HSV-1 virus replication by 89% and accelerate oral herpes healing time by 42% (clinical trial sample size n=116). The extract also reduced fasting blood glucose by 19.7% and improved insulin sensitivity by 23% in diabetic mice by activating the AMPK pathway, a mechanism elucidated in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in 2023.
From the aspect of production, under pressure 28 MPa and temperature 40℃ circumstances, it can increase the rate of volatile oil retention (for instance, citral and geranyl) by 95% using supercritical CO2 extraction process, and the loss of composition of the steam distillation traditional method up to 30%. Tefofen’s 2021 patented nanoemulsification technology has increased the bioavailability of Lemon Balm Extract by 52% to 78%, and the product has passed the EU organic certification (EC 834/2007) with terminal price of €450/ kg and gross margin over 65%. According to Grand View Research, the global lemon balm extract market size grew from $120 million in 2020 to $210 million in 2023 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.3%, of which the repurchase rate of the North American market is up to 61%, Amazon platform user review analysis shows. 79% of customers are happy with its “fast relief of tension headaches,” averaging 4.5/5 stars.
In the medical field, Lemon Balm Extract has been added to functional foods and clinically backed treatments. A clinical trial of a brand of calm capsule containing 300 mg extract showed that four weeks’ consumption can reduce the number of hot flashes in menopausal women by 37% and the severity of night sweats by 45%. In 2022, it was used as an adjuvant therapy in Alzheimer’s disease in an Italian hospital, and the cognitive Assessment Scale (MMSE) score increased by 2.4 points after patients administered 900 mg of the extract daily, and the rate of deposition of β-amyloid was decreased by 19%. Applied in cosmetics, 2% lemon balm extract-serum has the potential to increase skin transepidermal water loss (TEWL) value by 31%, reduce UV-induced collagen degradation by 28%, and the efficacy information was substantiated with the International Cosmetic Raw Material Certification (INCI).
Safety assessment revealed that the acute toxicities of Lemon Balm Extract LD50>5000 mg/kg (rats), EU EFSA set the acceptable daily intake is 9 mg/kg body weight. In 2023, global sampling results showed that 82% of the commercially available products’ rosmarinic acid content within the label-stated ±10% range met the qualification, better than the herbal extract industry average qualification rate of 68%. Specifically, innovations in supply chains are revolutionizing the sector: a Bulgarian farm that uses a vertical farming system reduced the growth cycle of lemon balm per year from 120 days to 75 days, increased the density of active ingredients by 25%, and increased yields per area unit by 40%. Frost & Sullivan has projected the market for cognitive health ingredients like Lemon Balm Extract to exceed $870 million by 2030, justifying its strategic importance as a multi-target natural remedy.