title: A Systematic Review of the Anxiolytic-Like Effects of Essential Oils in Animal Models.
abstract: The clinical efficacy of standardized essential oils (such as Lavender officinalis), in treating anxiety disorders strongly suggests that these natural products are an important candidate source for new anxiolytic drugs. A systematic review of essential oils, their bioactive constituents, and anxiolytic-like activity is conducted. The essential oil with the best profile is Lavendula angustifolia, which has already been tested in controlled clinical trials with positive results. Citrus aurantium using different routes of administration also showed significant effects in several animal models, and was corroborated by different research groups. Other promising essential oils are Citrus sinensis and bergamot oil, which showed certain clinical anxiolytic actions; along with Achillea wilhemsii, Alpinia zerumbet, Citrus aurantium, and Spiranthera odoratissima, which, like Lavendula angustifolia, appear to exert anxiolytic-like effects without GABA/benzodiazepine activity, thus differing in their mechanisms of action from the benzodiazepines. The anxiolytic activity of 25 compounds commonly found in essential oils is also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, CP 5009, João Pessoa-PB, CEP 58051-970, Brazil. damiao_desousa@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Damião Pergentino
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, CP 19031, Curitiba-PR, CEP 81540-970, Brazil. pallomaas@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Palloma
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Almeida Soares Hocayen
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, CEP 49100-000, São Cristóvão-SE, Brazil. lulisynalone@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Luciana Nalone
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, CP 19031, Curitiba-PR, CEP 81540-970, Brazil. randreatini@ufpr.br.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Andreatini
mesh_terms: D031162:Achillea / Q000737:chemistry; D032429:Alpinia / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002957:Citrus / Q000737:chemistry; D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D027523:Lavandula / Q000737:chemistry; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010938:Plant Oils; C068336:bergamot oil; C045718:lavender oil
keywords: anxiety; anxiolytic; elevated plus maze; essential oil; lavender; natural products; relaxant; sedative; terpene; tranquillizer