Davana (Artemisia pallens) is a woody aromatic shrub with finely divided leaves native to India.
Davana is used in floral displays, religious offerings, for its essential oil, and as a medicinal plant. It is commercially cultivated for its aromatic leaves and flowers from which an essential oil is extracted. Davana is also used in India as an offering and to glorify the altar of Shiva. It is also used as an animal fodder.
This essential oil is used both in flavorings for foods, as well as for perfumes and aromatherapy, and it imparts a specific sweet and fruity quality to the perfume.
Davana is considered GRAS in the US as a flavor. One of the characteristics Davana is noted for in perfumes is that it smells different on different people’s skins, thereby creating a very unique perfume for everybody.
Davana has a long history in traditional medicine systems, including Ayurvedic, traditional Chinese medicine and Unnani. In Ayurvedic medicine, Davana is used for vata and kapha dosha imbalance.
Davana is traditionally used for the treatment of mental and nervous conditions, an aphrodisiac, a tonic, as an anthelmintic, as well as for diabetes, infections and coughs and colds.
Through scientific investigation, Davana is known to have antispasmodic, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, analgesic, wound healing, antidiabetic and stimulatory properties. Preclinical studies have shown Davana to exhibit blood glucose lowering properties.
Sesquiterpene lactone is a molecule of interest in Davana, found to be a potent anti-inflammatory compound. For example, In a C. elegans Parkinson disease model, Davana sesquiterpenoids have mitigated parkinsonism through maintaining cellular redox state and proteostasis. Cis-davanone and Davana essential oil were also found to inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines in primary macrophage cells, indicating promising for further research into its use in chronic skin inflammatory conditions.
*This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician.