Verbascum thapsus, a biennial tall flowering plant, is commonly found growing wildly around the world. It is also known as the velvet plant with its Latin name meaning “barba” due to its hairy texture.
Mullein has been extensively used historically as a medicinal plant and has been used as a remedy for skin conditions, sore throats and respiratory diseases. It was topically applied as an anti-inflammatory wound healer.
Effective antioxidant activity of aqueous Mullein extract was shown as well as preventing skin ageing. One of the main components isolated from Mullein is verbascoside which efficiently inhibited iNOS expression and exerted anti-inflammatory effects on human THP-1 cells. The leaves of Mullein have also been shown to promote healthy hair growth.
