Interspecies comparison of chemical composition and anxiolytic-like effects of lavender oils upon inhalation.
Essential oils have traditionally been used for decades to alleviate the symptoms of various mental problems. In terms of anxiolytic-like properties, lavender oil is probably the most commonly used and best-studied essential oil. Although there is compositional variance among the oils extracted from different origins, there have been few studies performed to date to investigate how these differences affect the expression of anxiolytic-like activity. This paper discusses the interspecies differences and contributions of the main constituents in the expression of anxiolytic-like effects upon inhalation, as assessed in mice by the elevated-plus maze test, by comparing the essential oils from six different species of Lavandula. The results showed qualitative and quantitative variations in the tested oils, which results in significant differences in their anxiolytic-like activities. Our findings also suggest that linalyl acetate (LA) works synergistically with linalool (LO) and that the presence of both LA and LO is essential for the whole oil to work as an inhaled anti-anxiety agent.
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, Funabashi, Chiba 274-8510, Japan.
Mizuho
M
Takahashi
Tadaaki
T
Satou
Mai
M
Ohashi
Shinichiro
S
Hayashi
Kiyomi
K
Sadamoto
Kazuo
K
Koike
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D027523:Lavandula; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry*; D013045:Species Specificity
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010938:Plant Oils; C045718:lavender oil