The Kitchen Herb That's Turning Heads in Cancer Research
It flavors soups across Southeast Asia, repels mosquitoes in backyard gardens, and has been brewed into tea for centuries. Lemongrass is hardly a newcomer to the wellness world. But increasingly, it is appearing somewhere unexpected: the pages of peer-reviewed oncology research. A growing collection of laboratory studies suggests that compounds found in lemongrass — particularly its dominant active ingredient, citral — can slow or stop the growth of multiple types of cancer cells, and do so without harming healthy tissue. Researchers stress that all findings remain preclinical, meaning they have not yet been tested in human cancer patients. Even so, the consistency of results across different cancer types and research teams has generated real scientific interest.
Udumbara
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A Familiar Fragrance, A Surprising Scientific File
It flavors soups across Southeast Asia, repels mosquitoes in backyard gardens, and has been brewed into tea for centuries. Lemongrass is hardly a newcomer to the wellness world. But increasingly, it is appearing somewhere unexpected: the pages of peer-reviewed oncology research.
A growing collection of laboratory studies suggests that compounds found in lemongrass — particularly its dominant active ingredient, citral — can slow or stop the growth of multiple types of cancer cells, and do so without harming healthy tissue. Researchers stress that all findings remain preclinical, meaning they have not yet been tested in human cancer patients. Even so, the consistency of results across different cancer types and research teams has generated real scientific interest.
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What the Research Actually Shows
The bulk of the evidence centers on citral, a naturally occurring aldehyde that gives lemongrass its sharp, lemon-like scent and makes up between 70 and 80 percent of the plant's essential oil. In laboratory settings, citral has demonstrated the ability to trigger apoptosis — the process by which cells are programmed to die — selectively in cancer cells while leaving normal cells unaffected. It has also been shown to halt cancer cell reproduction at specific points in the growth cycle and to interfere with the mechanisms that allow tumors to spread.
A study published in Integrative Cancer Therapies found that lemongrass extract induced apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner without harming healthy cells in laboratory conditions. When given orally to mice implanted with human colon cancer tumors, the extract was well tolerated and effectively inhibited tumor growth. Notably, mice fed lemongrass extract developed fewer intestinal tumors than controls, pointing to possible preventive effects.
The same research also found that lemongrass extract enhanced the anticancer effectiveness of FOLFOX — a standard chemotherapy combination — while simultaneously reducing FOLFOX-related weight loss in animals receiving the combined treatment. This suggests a potential supportive role alongside conventional therapy, though human trials have not yet been conducted.
Separately, researchers at Japan's Society for Neuro-Oncology investigated lemongrass essential oil against glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer. Tumor cells cultured near lemongrass essential oil showed growth inhibition, and mice that inhaled the oil for 12 hours per day survived significantly longer than the control group.
A 2025 study examined citral's effects on breast cancer stem cells — a particularly treatment-resistant subpopulation of cancer cells linked to tumor recurrence. Citral reduced the size of cancer cell clusters, induced apoptosis, and decreased the proportion of stem-like cancer cells in the samples. The researchers concluded that citral shows meaningful potential as an anticancer agent targeting this difficult cell type, and called for further preclinical and clinical evaluation.
A further study tested lemongrass essential oil against colorectal, breast, and melanoma cancer cell lines and found cytotoxic effects in all cases, with the anticancer activity increasing at higher concentrations. Critically, the tested concentrations did not significantly affect the viability of healthy skin cells, suggesting a degree of selectivity that most conventional cancer drugs lack.
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How Citral Works Against Cancer Cells
Scientists have identified several mechanisms through which citral acts on cancer cells. It generates what are known as reactive oxygen species (unstable molecules that can damage cellular structures) inside cancer cells, disrupts the energy-producing function of mitochondria, and interferes with signaling pathways that cancer cells rely on to survive and multiply. Citral has also been shown to reduce aldehyde dehydrogenase activity and suppress a cellular pathway called Wnt signaling, both of which are linked to drug resistance — a major obstacle in cancer treatment.
This multi-target action is considered an advantage. Unlike many drugs that attack a single molecular target, plant-derived compounds like citral appear to affect cancer cells through several pathways at once, potentially making it harder for cells to develop resistance.
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More Than One Cancer Type
The breadth of cancers studied is notable. Research published in Antioxidants reviewed the evidence and confirmed anticancer activity of lemongrass essential oil components against a range of cancers, while noting that although different components have shown promising activity in laboratory settings, their effects have not yet been assessed in the human system.
Studies have documented laboratory-level anticancer activity against colorectal, breast, lung, cervical, liver, and brain cancers, as well as lymphoma and leukemia. The plant's wide-ranging chemical profile — which includes terpene hydrocarbons, alcohols, ketones, esters, and aldehydes — is thought to underlie its diverse pharmacological effects.
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A Long Record in Traditional Medicine
Long before researchers began measuring citral's behavior in petri dishes, traditional medicine systems on multiple continents had already catalogued lemongrass as a healing plant.
In Chinese medicine, lemongrass — known as xiang mao — has been documented since at least the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD) and was used to treat fevers, support digestion, and calm the nervous system. Ayurvedic medicine in India applied it similarly for fever, digestive complaints, and respiratory congestion. Western herbalism has used lemongrass essential oil for pain relief, particularly in arthritic conditions, and as an antibacterial and decongestant.
Today, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center — one of the world's leading cancer institutions — notes that lemongrass has demonstrated antimicrobial, anxiolytic, and vasorelaxant effects in preclinical studies, and that limited human data suggest lemongrass essential oil products might help with chronic gum disease and oral thrush. Research in humans has also found lemongrass mouthwash effective against gingivitis, and lemongrass aromatherapy useful in reducing dental anxiety.
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What This Means — and What It Doesn't
The findings are promising, but they come with important caveats. All anticancer results to date have been produced in laboratory cell cultures or animal models. The leap from these controlled settings to effective, safe cancer treatment in humans is significant. Dosing, delivery methods, long-term safety, and interactions with existing therapies all remain to be established through clinical trials.
High doses of citral and myrcene — both found in lemongrass — caused birth defects in rats, and it may be advisable to avoid lemongrass in large doses during pregnancy. High doses of the essential oil can also damage liver and stomach lining tissue, and excessive ingestion of lemongrass tea may negatively affect kidney function.
For everyday culinary use — teas, soups, curries — lemongrass is widely regarded as safe for most adults. Those with grass allergies, sensitive digestion, or who are pregnant should exercise caution with larger amounts. Anyone considering using lemongrass medicinally, particularly while managing a health condition or taking prescription medications, should consult a healthcare provider.
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The Bottom Line
Lemongrass is not a cancer cure. It is an herb with a centuries-long record of traditional use that has, over the past two decades, accumulated a growing scientific file suggesting its primary compound, citral, can act meaningfully against cancer cells in laboratory conditions. The next step — human clinical trials — has not yet arrived. Until it does, lemongrass remains what it has always been: a flavorful, fragrant, and well-documented medicinal plant with enough scientific promise to justify continued research, and enough culinary versatility to earn a place in anyone's kitchen.
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Sources
- Mukarram M, et al. "Lemongrass Essential Oil Components with Antimicrobial and Anticancer Activities." Antioxidants (MDPI), 2021. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/11/1/20
- Rusli MEF, et al. "Unveiling the anticancer effect of citral through inhibition of stemness in estrogen-positive breast cancer." Biomedical Research and Therapy, 2025. https://bmrat.biomedpress.org/index.php/BMRAT/article/view/954
- Patra JK, et al. "Lemongrass Extract Possesses Potent Anticancer Activity Against Human Colon Cancers, Inhibits Tumorigenesis, Enhances Efficacy of FOLFOX, and Reduces Its Adverse Effects." Integrative Cancer Therapies / PubMed Central. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6918039/
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. "Lemongrass – Herb/Supplement Monograph." https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/lemongrass
- Saito N, et al. "Development of Anti-Tumor Aroma Therapy for Glioblastoma with Lemongrass Essential Oil." Neuro-Oncology, Vol. 26, Supplement 8, November 2024. https://academic.oup.com/neuro-oncology/article/26/Supplement_8/viii125/7889576
- Rahimi G, et al. "Anticancer Potential of Cymbopogon citratus L. Essential Oil: In Vitro and In Silico Insights." Plants (MDPI), April 2025. https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/9/1341
- Nagata C, et al. "Citral in lemon myrtle, lemongrass, litsea, and melissa essential oils suppress the growth and invasion of breast cancer cells." BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 2024. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12906-024-04511-4
- Wujec M, et al. "Antiviral, Antibacterial, Antifungal, and Anticancer Activity of Plant Materials Derived from Cymbopogon citratus." Pharmaceuticals (MDPI), May 2024. https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/17/6/705
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