EVERLASTING FLOWER
Helichrysum, from the Greek helios for sun and chrysos for gold, is one of the world’s most sought-after essential oils. Native to coastal locales in places such as France, Italy, and Croatia, the delicate flowers bloom in rocky soils before a painstakingly careful harvest.
Helichrysum essential oil contains an anti-inflammatory substance called arzanol, which plays a part in healing wounds.
Arzanol is a novel phloroglucinol α -pyrone, isolated from a Mediterranean plant Helichrysum italicum. Arzanol has been reported to possess a variety of pharmacological activities.
Just like the geographical distribution of Helichrysum species extends beyond the Mediterranean region, the properties of H. italicum are not limited to fragrance as they can benefit human health as well. In this context, H. italicum can be viewed as the sleeping giant of Mediterranean herbal medicine, and its extracts have the potential to be developed as dietary supplement ingredients just like its essential oil has been used successfully in perfumery and aromatherapy. Waking this giant will not be simple, but recent studies have provided the basis for a Helichrysum renaissance.
How Many Helichrysum Species Exist and Why is Their Color so Fade-Resistant?
The genus Helichrysum belongs to the family Asteraceae and encompasses more than 500 different species, with hotbeds of biodiversity centered in the Mediterranean basin, South Africa, and Australia — three geographically and geologically unrelated areas.
Helichrysum italicum and its Baffling Scent
Helichrysum italicum is a xerophytic shrub 30 to 70 centimeters high, branched at the base with small, linear, hairy leaves that give the plant an overall grey hue until the appearance of the yellow flowerheads in June or July.It grows in dry, stony areas at an impressive range of altitudes from sea level to more than 2,000 meters. From a botanical standpoint, H. italicum is an umbrella name that covers at least six distinct varieties widespread mainly in the Western European Mediterranean region. The best-known variety grows around the northern Tyrrhenian Sea, on the islands of Corsica and Sardinia and on the Tuscany islands
Helichrysum italicum is also the most-investigated species in terms of ethnobotany and phytochemistry.
Helichrysum italicum is famous and valued for its scent, which has been referred to as rosy, exotic, and spicy. The peculiar odor note was mentioned in the 1st century CE by Pliny the Elder, who, in his work Naturalis Historia, described it as not-at-all unpleasant and as being able to protect clothes from moths.
The most common medical uses of Helichrysum documented by ancient authors were as a topical antiseptic, a cicatrizing (i.e., scar-forming) agent, for joint health and liver protection, and as a treatment for airway infections.