Essential Oils in Experimental Models of Neuropsychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Neural cells undergo functional or sensory loss due to neurological disorders. In addition to environmental or genetic factors, oxidative stress is a major contributor to neurodegeneration. In this context, there has been a growing interest in investigating the effects of essential oils (EOs) in recent years, especially in the treatment of neuropathologies. The chemical and biological effects of EOs have led to important treatment tools for the management of various neurological disorders. Objective: In the present study we performed a systematic review that sought to comprehend the neuroprotective effects of different EOs. Method: This work is a systematic review where an electronic search was performed on PubMed, Science direct, Cochrane Library and SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online) databases, covering the last 10 years, using “Essential oil” and “Neuroprotective effect” as reference terms. Results: A total of 9 articles were identified, in which the efficacy of EOs was described in experimental models of anxiety, dementia, oxidative stress, cerebral ischemia, Alzheimer’s disease and oxidative toxicity. Conclusion: EOs from different species of medicinal plants have shown positive responses in neurological disorders such as anxiety, dementia, oxidative stress, cerebral ischemia and oxidative toxicity. Thus, EOs emerges with the potential to be used as alternative agents in the treatment of neurological disorders.

Aromatic Plant-Based Functional Foods: A Natural Approach to Manage Cardiovascular Diseases

“…pointed out other beneficial effects of these extracts on human health including anti flammatory, neuroprotective, and cardioprotective properties, as reviewed in [17][18][19], tifying their use in dietary products. However, the direct use of essential oils in foods decrease their functional properties due to uncontrolled release, poor solubility, unde able sensory effects of some oils, and low bioavailability [20].…”

“…Essential oils can be found in a variety of food products as detailed in the next section and, as their use in functional foods is rather promising, several novel products are expected to be developed in the following years ( Figure 1 ). Moreover, several studies have pointed out other beneficial effects of these extracts on human health including anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and cardioprotective properties, as reviewed in [ 17 , 18 , 19 ], justifying their use in dietary products. However, the direct use of essential oils in foods can decrease their functional properties due to uncontrolled release, poor solubility, undesirable sensory effects of some oils, and low bioavailability [ 20 ].…”

Inhalation Aromatherapy via Brain-Targeted Nasal Delivery: Natural Volatiles or Essential Oils on Mood Disorders

“…In general, chamomile, lavender, bergamot, clary sage, rosemary, ylang-ylang, frankincense, and damask rose are used commonly as “anti-anxiety oils.” Essential oils to treat anxiety have been used throughout Europe for many years ( Seol et al, 2010 ). Also, the chemical and biological properties of essential oils have resulted in the development of crucial treatment strategies for anxiety disorders ( Fernandes et al, 2021 ). Essential oils have fewer side effects and more administration methods than traditional anti-anxiety medications.…”

The Relationship between Aromatherapy and Mental Wellbeing: A Narrative Review

“…Essential oils can assist in coping with the social and emotional aspects of neurological conditions (Betts, 2003;Ayaz et al, 2017;Fernandes et al, 2021) and several human trials in mental health settings indicates that there is great potential for aromatherapy effect in this area (Perry & Perry, 2006;Fung et al, 2021;Geck et al, 2020). The essential or volatile oils are extracted from the flowers, barks, stem, leaves, roots, fruits and other parts of the plant by various methods.…”