A Systematic Review of the Anxiolytic-Like Effects of Essential Oils in Animal Models

Overview

Journal Molecules

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Biology

Date 2015 Oct 17

PMID 26473822

Citations 48

Authors

Damiao Pergentino de Sousa

Palloma de Almeida Soares Hocayen

Luciana Nalone Andrade

Roberto Andreatini

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

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.

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