Standardized Plant Extract - TITREX®

Java Tea

Cat's Whiskers: The great renal drainer from Southeast Asia

Latin name

Orthosiphon stamineus Benth.

Family

Lamiaceae

History & Botany

Java tea is a perennial plant native to tropical Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam), used for centuries in traditional Ayurvedic and Malay medicine for its benefits on kidney and urinary health. Its particularly graceful flowers, white to violet, bear long, filamentous stamens resembling "cat's whiskers", hence this poetic nickname. Introduced to Europe by the Dutch at the end of the 19th century under the name "Java tea," it was quickly adopted as a first-choice diuretic.

Listed in the European Pharmacopoeia with an official control monograph, recognized by the EMA, the German Commission E, and ESCOP for urinary tract drainage. Numerous recent studies confirm its diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antihypertensive, and antidiabetic properties, making it one of the most studied plants in Southeast Asia.

Morphology

Upright perennial herbaceous plant, 60 cm to 1 m tall. Characteristic square stems of the Lamiaceae family. Oval leaves with purple petioles, acuminate, and toothed. Very ornamental white to blue-violet flowers with very long, arched stamens resembling cat's whiskers. Blooms year-round in tropical climates.

Part used & extraction

The dried leaves (leafy stems), harvested at the beginning of flowering at maximum sinensetin concentration, dried in the shade, and extracted via hydro-alcoholic extraction. Indonesia is the main producing country. Does not grow in Europe: all production is imported.

Orthosiphon stamineus Benth.

Long filamentous stamens resembling "cat's whiskers" and characteristic leaves with purple petioles

Organoleptic Characteristics

Appearance

Leaves are green with purple petioles, oval and toothed. Spectacular white-violet flowers with long stamens. Dry extract powder is greenish-brown to light brown, fine.

Odor

Slightly aromatic and herbal, vaguely minty, pleasant and subtle. Reminiscent of a slightly spiced green tea. The dry extract is almost odorless.

Taste

Slightly bitter and sub-aromatic, very pleasant hot or cold. One of the easiest medicinal plants to drink, often called "tea" for its pleasant taste.

Infusion

Liquid is light yellow to amber, slightly colored, clear, and very pleasant. Consumed hot or cold as a comfort tea. 1.5 liters per day recommended for optimal diuretic effect.

Active Principles & Biochemistry

Medicinal Properties & Traditional Use

Powerful Renal Diuretic

Significantly increases urine output and promotes the excretion of nitrogenous waste (urea, uric acid, chlorides, creatinine). Prevents the formation of kidney stones and promotes their elimination. Treatment of cystitis, mild pyelonephritis, and chronic prostatitis. Without potassium depletion, a major advantage over chemical diuretics.

Anti-Inflammatory & Antihyperuricemic

Reduces blood uric acid, a hypouricemic property valuable for gout and hyperuricemic rheumatism. Confirmed anti-inflammatory effects on the kidneys and joints. Mild antihypertensive properties via vasodilation (NO/cGMP pathway). Synergistic with horsetail in renal drainage formulas.

Hepatoprotective & Metabolic

Mild cholagogue properties for minor liver insufficiency. Cholesterol-lowering via phytosterols. Mild antidiabetic (improved insulin sensitivity and documented postprandial glycemia reduction). Healing in external use (eczema, wounds).

Antioxidant & Neuroprotective

Rosmarinic acid and polymethoxylated flavonoids provide systemic cellular protection against oxidative stress. Recent studies highlight neuroprotective potential of sinensetin (models of neuroinflammation and cognitive decline). Emerging antimicrobial properties against Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli.