Common names | honeysuckle

Scientific name | Lonicera japonica

Used part | Flower

Known active compounds | luteolin, rutin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid

Potential benefits in cosmetics | anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory

Product name | Honeysuckle Flower-APD, Honeysuckle Flower-ANB

Plant Story

Lonicera japonica, commonly known as Japanese honeysuckle, is a perennial climbing vine native to East Asia, including Korea, Japan, and China. It is known for its fragrant flowers which are tubular and typically white or creamy yellow in color. It can be made into flower tea for its delicate, floral aroma and sweet taste. In East Asia, it has been used as a traditional herbal medicine for various medicinal purposes. It is believed to have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties that can be effective in alleviating symptoms of colds and flu and soothing sore throats. Topically, it was used to reduce redness, swelling, skin irritations, rashes, and infections.

Various phytochemicals have been isolated and identified from L. japonica including flavonoids, organic acids, triterpenoid saponins, and iridoids. Among them, many of the bioactive compounds were found in flowers including caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid, luteolin and its derivatives, quercetin and kaempferol and their derivatives, rutin and so on. It was reported that the flower extracts of L. japonica have anti-oxidant activities by scavenging free radicals. It was also shown that these extracts have anti-inflammatory activities by inhibiting nitric oxide production in RAW264.7 cells. Another study showed the aqueous extracts of L. japonica flower have anti-inflammatory properties by inhibiting both COX-1 and COX-2 in A549 cells.