Perilla

Scientific Name(s): Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt.
Common Name(s): Aka-jiso (red perilla), Ao-jiso (green perilla), Beefsteak plant, Chinese basil, Dlggae, Korean perilla, Nga-Mon, Perilla, Perilla mint, Purple mint, Purple perilla, Shiso, Wild coleus, Zisu

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Nov 1, 2022.

Clinical Overview

Use

Perilla leaves have been used to treat a variety of conditions in Chinese medicine, as a garnish in Asian cooking, and as a possible antidote to food poisoning. Leaf extracts have shown antioxidant, antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, GI, and dermatologic properties. However, clinical trial data are lacking to recommend use of perilla for any indication.

Dosing

Clinical trial data are lacking to support specific dosing recommendations. Various preparations and dosing regimens have been studied in clinical trials. See specific indications in Uses and Pharmacology section.

Contraindications

Contraindications have not been identified.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Avoid use. Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.

Interactions

None well documented.

Adverse Reactions

Perilla oil may cause dermatitis.

Toxicology

No data.

Scientific Family

• Lamiaceae (mint)

Botany

Perilla is an annual herb indigenous to eastern Asia and naturalized to the southeastern United States, particularly in semishaded, damp woodlands. The plant has deep purple, square stems and reddish-purple leaves. The leaves are ovate, hairy, and petiolated, with ruffled or curly edges; some very large red leaves are reminiscent of a slice of raw beef, hence the common name “beefsteak plant.” Small tubular flowers are borne on long spikes that arise from the leaf axils between July and October. The plant has a strong fragrance sometimes described as minty.(Duke 2002, USDA 2022)

History

Perilla leaves and seeds are widely consumed in Asia. In Japan, perilla leaves (referred to as “soyo”) are used as a garnish on raw fish dishes, serving as both a flavoring and an antidote to possible food poisoning. The seeds are expressed to yield edible oil that is used in commercial manufacturing processes for varnishes, dyes, and inks. Dried leaves have many applications in Chinese herbal medicine, including treatment of respiratory conditions (eg, asthma, cough, colds), as an antispasmodic, to induce sweating, to quell nausea, and to alleviate sunstroke

Chemistry

Perilla leaves yield about 0.2% of a delicately fragrant essential oil that varies widely in composition and includes hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and furan. The seeds have a fixed oil content of approximately 40%, with a large proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, mainly alpha-linolenic acid. The plant also contains pseudotannins and antioxidants typical of the mint family. An anthocyanin pigment, perillanin chloride, is responsible for the reddish-purple coloration of some cultivars. Several different chemotypes have been identified. In the most frequently cultivated chemotype, the main component is perillaldehyde, with smaller amounts of limonene, linalool, beta-caryophyllene, menthol, alpha-pinene, perillene, and elemicin. The oxime of perilla aldehyde (perillartin) is reported to be 2,000 times sweeter than sugar and is used as an artificial sweetener in Japan. Other compounds of possible commercial interest include citral, a pleasantly lemon-scented compound; rosefurane, used in the perfume industry; and simple phenylpropanoids of value to the pharmaceutical industry. Rosmarinic, ferulic, caffeic, and tormentic acids and luteolin, apigenin, and catechin have also been isolated from perilla, as well as long-chain policosanols of interest in platelet aggregation. A high myristin content renders certain chemotypes toxic; ketones (eg, perilla ketone, isoegomaketone) found in other chemotypes are potent pneumotoxins. High-performance liquid chromatography, gas, and thin-layer chromatography have all been used to identify chemical constituents.