Compendium of the most significant studies with reference to properties, intake, effects.

Antioxidant and anticancer activities of chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.).
Al-Dabbagh B, Elhaty IA, Elhaw M, Murali C, Al Mansoori A, Awad B, Amin A.
BMC Res Notes. 2019 Jan 3;12(1):3. doi: 10.1186/s13104-018-3960-y.

Abdullahzadeh M, Matourypour P, Naji SA. Investigation effect of oral chamomilla on sleep quality in elderly people in Isfahan: A randomized control trial. J Educ Health Promot. 2017 Jun 5;6:53. doi: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_109_15.

Effects of Matricaria Recutita (L.) in the Treatment of Oral Mucositis.
Gomes VTS, Nonato Silva Gomes R, Gomes MS, Joaquim WM, Lago EC, Nicolau RA.
ScientificWorldJournal. 2018 Jun 12;2018:4392184. doi: 10.1155/2018/4392184.

Evaluation of Aldose Reductase, Protein Glycation, and Antioxidant Inhibitory Activities of Bioactive Flavonoids in Matricaria recutita L. and Their Structure-Activity Relationship.
Hwang SH, Wang Z, Guillen Quispe YN, Lim SS, Yu JM.
J Diabetes Res. 2018 Apr 10;2018:3276162. doi: 10.1155/2018/3276162

Correlation of radical-scavenging capacity and amoebicidal activity of Matricaria recutita L. (Asteraceae).
Hajaji S, Sifaoui I, López-Arencibia A, Reyes-Batlle M, Jiménez IA, Bazzocchi IL, Valladares B, Pinero JE, Lorenzo-Morales J, Akkari H.
Exp Parasitol. 2017 Dec;183:212-217. doi: 10.1016/j.exppara.2017.09.011.

Anthelmintic activity of Tunisian chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) against Haemonchus contortus.
Hajaji S, Alimi D, Jabri MA, Abuseir S, Gharbi M, Akkari H.
J Helminthol. 2018 Mar;92(2):168-177. doi: 10.1017/S0022149X17000396

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) decoction extract inhibits in vitro intestinal glucose absorption and attenuates high fat diet-induced lipotoxicity and oxidative stress.
Jabri MA, Sakly M, Marzouki L, Sebai H.
Biomed Pharmacother. 2017 Mar;87:153-159. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2016.12.043.

Evaluating the effect of Matricaria recutita and Mentha piperita herbal mouthwash on management of oral mucositis in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled clinical trial.
Tavakoli Ardakani M, Ghassemi S, Mehdizadeh M, Mojab F, Salamzadeh J, Ghassemi S, Hajifathali A.
Complement Ther Med. 2016 Dec;29:29-34. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2016.08.001.

Chamomile - Matricaria recutita

The genus Chamomile includes several species.

• Matricaria recutita or German chamomile, is the most widespread and known medicinal plant belonging to the family of Asteraceae, the classic chamomile.
• Anthemis nobilis or Roman Chamomile is the second medicinal plant that is less common, but has similar ingredients to Matricaria recutita. 

Both provide an interesting  essential oil  (the main components of which are bisabololol alpha and its oxides A, B and C, matricin, which is converted into chamazulene for distillation, en-yn-dicycloethers and flavonic derivatives: apigenin, luteoline and apigenin-7-glucoside (3).

In many clinical trials, the anti-inflammatory activity of the ointment containing recutita Matricaria flower extract (treatment of patients suffering from inflammatory dermatosis on the hands, forearms and lower legs) was comparable to that Hydrocortisone 0.25% and higher than 0.75% foreign fluocortix and 5% bufexamac (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory synthetic drugs) (1).

The essential oil of chamomile and alpha bisabolol contained there, has demonstrated antibacterial and antifungal activity  in vitro (mainly against Gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus , Bacillus subtilis and fungi Candida albicans ) (2).

The flower is used for herbal teas, tablets, mouthwashes (3).

Despite being the most commonly used herb for sleep disorders, the efficacy and safety of chamomile (Matricaria recutita) for the treatment of primary chronic insomnia is still uncertain. This study found a modest benefit of chamomile over placebo on other sleep diary measures including sleep latency. The data from this study point to the possibility that chamomile extract may provide modest, mixed clinical benefits, at the doses evaluated, to patients with chronic primary insomnia. It is possible, however, that improvements in the chamomile group are due to nontreatment-related events such as natural disease course and regression to the mean (4).

Chamomile studies

References____________________________________________________________________

(1) Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckann J. Herbal medicine. Expanded Commission E Monographs. German. Newton: Chamomile flower, American Botanical Council; 2000. pp. 57–61.

(2) Schulz V, Hänsel R, Blumenthal M, Tyler VE. Rational phytotherapy. Berlin Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag; 2004. pp. 335–47.

(3) ESCOP Monographs. Matricariae flos. 2nd ed. New York: Thieme; 2003. European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy; pp. 312

(4) Zick SM, Wright BD, Sen A, Arnedt JT. Preliminary examination of the efficacy and safety of a standardized chamomile extract for chronic primary insomnia: a randomized placebo-controlled pilot study. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2011 Sep 22;11:78. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-11-78.