Dittany of Crete
Botanical name
Origanum dictamnus L.
Family
Lamiaceae
Common name
Dittany of Crete, Hop marjoram, Cretan dittany
Information about the plant
Dittany of Crete, or hop marjoram, is native to Crete, where it is considered the ‘king of Cretan herbs’ and used in folk medicine to treat a wide range of complaints.
The genus name Origanum is derived from the Greek ‘oras’ (= mountain) and ‘ganos’ (= ornament, adornment) and can, therefore, be translated as ‘mountain ornament’. The species epithet dictamnus refers to the ‘bush in the Dikti Mountains’, derived from the Greek ‘thamnos’ (= bush). The Dikti Mountains are in the south-east of Crete (also known as the Lasithi Mountains).
The dittany of Crete is a small plant that grows up to 20 cm high, characterized by its striking white-felt, blue-green leaves. These are round or cordate and are arranged crosswise on the stem. The flowers of the dittany of Crete are pink to light purple and are arranged in spikes of 3 to 10. As the bracts are 7 to 10 mm longer than the calyx, they give the flowers a hop-like appearance. The upper lip of the calyx is entire, the lower lip slightly toothed; the corolla tube is twice as long as the calyx, the lower lip reduced, and the upper lip broadly rounded and undivided.
Medicinally used parts of plants (herbal drug)
The dried, flowering above-ground parts (Dittany of Crete herb - Origani dictamni herba), with the spicy smell of the essential oil contained in the drug, are used. It is present in the glandular scales on the surface of the leaves and is released when these glands are damaged by rubbing.
Constituents of the herbal drug
Dittany of Crete herb contains essential oil, triterpenes, and lipids. The essential oil consists of 60 to 80% carvacrol, 6 to 8% p-cymene, 2 to 8% γ-terpinene, and other monoterpenes (including linalool, α-terpineol, α-pinene).
Quality of the drug
No pharmacopeial quality description is available for dittany of Crete herb.
Medical applications
Recognised medical use
The HMPC has classified dittany of Crete herb as a traditional herbal medicinal product (see ‘Traditional use’).
ESCOP: Dittany of Crete has not been evaluated.
Traditional use
Dittany of Crete herb has been classified as a traditional herbal medicinal product by the HMPC (Article 16a of Directive 2001/83/EC) based upon long-standing use. It can be used as herbal tea for the relief of cough associated with colds and for mild disorders of the stomach and gut, such as a sensation of fullness or digestive problems. The infusion can also be used to soak a dressing and applied to the skin for minor skin inflammations and bruises.
Herbal drug preparations in finished dosage forms
Cut dittany of Crete herb to prepare a tea for ingestion or an extract for external use.
Dosage
Finished medicinal product: see patient information leaflet.
Tea: Drink 1 cup of freshly prepared warm tea 3 times a day. Daily dose 4 to 21 g drug. For external use, it can be applied 3 to 5 times a day in the form of a moistened compress.
Preparation of a tea
Pour 150 mL of hot water over 1.5 to 7 g of finely chopped dittany of Crete herb (do not boil!), leave for 2 to 4 minutes, and strain. For external use, pour 1 liter of boiling water over 30 to 75 g of chopped drug and strain after 4 minutes.
Notes
There are no safety studies available on the use of dittany of Crete herb during pregnancy or lactation. Internal use in children and adolescents under the age of 18 is not recommended due to a lack of evidence. External use is acceptable in adolescents over the age of 12.
Side effects
None known.
Interactions
None known.