Aromatherapy Studies on Essential Oil Properties
Studies on Essential
Oils showpostivie effects on a variety of health
concerns such as, infections, pain, anxiety, stress,
premenopause, nausea, and depression- just to name
a few. . . Even effects to quit smoking.
Anti-microbial Effects
Burt, S. A. (2003). Antibacterial activity of selected
plant essential oils against Escherichia coli O157:H7.
Letters in Applied Microbiology 36, 162-7.
The research studied the antibacterial
properties of five essential oils (EO) on Escherichia
coli O157:H7. The results show that oregano and
thyme EO have significant in vitro colicidal and
colistatic properties and are exhibited in a broad
temperature range. The effects were greatly improved
by the addition of agar as stabilizer. Bay and clove
bud EO are shown less active in reducing the number
of E.coli O157:H7.
Inouye, S., Yamaguchi, H. (2001).
Antibacterial activity of essential oils and their
major constituents against respiratory tract pathogens
by gaseous contact. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy,
47, 565-73.
The antibacterial activity of fourteen
essential oils and their major constituents in the
gaseous state were evaluated against four different
bacteria by Inouge and Yamaguchi (2001). The authors
found H. Influenzae to be most susceptible to most
essential oils examined. The research also indicated
that the antibacterial action of essential oils
was most effective when at high vapour concentration
for a short time.
Sherry, E., Warnke, P. H. (2001).
Percutaneous treatment of chronic MRSA osteomyelitis
with a novel plant-derived antiseptic. BMC Surgery
1(1).
The single case clinical report described
the use of a polytoxinol (PT) antimicrobial, a complex
mixture whose major components are tea tree oil
and eucalyptus to cure an intractable methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection of the lower
tibia in an adult male. The study introduced a cheap,
simple technique as a possible alternative to long-term
systemic antibiotic therapy when administered percutaneously.
Benencia, F. (1999). Antiviral activity
of sandalwood oil against Herpes simplex viruses-1
and -2. Phytomedicine 6(2), 119-23.
The study tested the antiviral activity
of sandalwood oil, the essential oil of Santalum
album L against Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)
and 2 (HSV-2). Results demonstrated dose-dependent
effect of sandalwood oil in inhibiting the replication
of virus, and more significantly against HSV-1.
The results also indicate a possible chemopreventive
action of sandalwood oil against carcinogenesis.
Hammer, K. A., Riley, T. V. (1999).
Antimicrobial activity of essential oils and other
plant extracts. Journal of Applied Microbiology
86, 985-90.
Hammer et al. investigated 52 plant
oils and extracts for their antimicrobial activity(1999).
They found that the essential oils extracted from
lemongrass, oregano and bay inhibited all organisms
at concentrations of <=2.0% (v/v). The study
also found the antimicrobial effect of thyme oil
against C. albicans and E. coli at the lowest minimum
inhibitory concentration of 0.03% (v/v).
Chinou, I. B., Perdetzoglou, D., Tzakou,
O., & Loukis, A. (1996). Chemical and antibacterial
studies of two Helichrysum species of Greek origin.
Planta Medica 63, 181-3.
Chinou et al (1996) studied the antibacterial
activity of the essential oils obtained from the
aerial parts of two Helichrysum species. The authors
collected the plants during their flowering period
and thirty-nine constituents were identified and
quantified from the total oil. Six bacterial strains
were tested. It was found that oils exhibited significant
antibacterial activity against the six Gram () bacteria.
±
Hayashi, K., & Hayashi, T. (1994).
Virucidal effects of the steam distilate from Houttuynia
cordata and its components on HSV-1, influenza virus,
and HIV. Planta Medica. 61, 237-41.
The anti-inflammatory activities of
the water extract of dried plants of Houttuynia
cordata was investigated by Hayashi et al (1994).
The authors found the essential oils (Saururaceae)
to have direct inhibitory activity against herpes
simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), influenza virus, and
human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) without
showing cytotoxicity, although it was not shown
to have direct impact against poliovirus and coxsackie-virus.
Pain Relief
Burns, E., Blamey, C., Ersser, S. J., Barnetson,
L., & Lloyd, A. (2000). An investigation into the
use of aromatherapy in intrapartum midwifery Practice.
The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine,
6(2), 141-7.
The maternal comfort of 8058 mothers who presented in
labor at the Oxford Radcliffe Hospital Women’s Center
between 1990 and 1998 were evaluated after being offered
aromatherapy comparing with those in a comparison group
from the unit audit not given aromatherapy (n=15,799).
The results indicate that aromatherapy offered a potentially
effective therapy during labor to relieve anxiety, pain,
nausea, or poor contractions.
Ghelardini, C., Galeotti, N., Salvatore,
G., & Mazzanti, G. (1999). Local anaesthetic activity
of the essential oil of lavandula augustifolia. Planta
Medica, 65, 700-3.
The study compared the local anaesthetic activity of the
essential oils obtained from Lavandula angustifolia Mill
and two citrus fruits. The essential oils of L. angustifolia
and its two major pure components, but not the oils of
Citrus reticulata and Citrus limon were found to be able
to reduce the electrically evoked contractions of rat
phrenic-hemidiaphragm greatly in a dose-dependent manner.
Pittler, M. H., Ernst, E. (1998). Peppermint
oil for irritable bowel syndrome: a critical review and
metaanalysis. The American Journal of Gastroenterology,
93(7), 1131-5.
The results of a meta-anlysis of five double blind, placebo-controlled
RCTs indicate that peppermint oil had a significant effect
in improving symptoms of patients with irritable bowel
syndrome (IBS). However, due to the methodological flaws
of most of the studies reviewed, conclusions about the
role of peppermint oil in the symptomatic treatment of
IBS could not be drawn.
Dale, A., Cornwell, S. (1994). The role
of lavender oil in relieving perineal discomfort following
childbirth: A blind randomized clinical trial. Journal
of Advanced Nursing, 19:89-96.
The single-blind clinical trial randomized 635 mothers
into three groups using pure lavender oil, a synthetic
lavender oil, and an inert substance as a bath additive
respectively for 10 days following normal childbirth.
The analysis results of daily discomfort scores showed
no statistically significant difference between groups.
However, women using lavender oil as a bath additive had
lower mean discomfort scores between the 3rd and 5th days,
when the mother usually experienced the highest discomfort.
Gobel, H., Schmidt, G., Soyka, D. (1994).
Effect of peppermint and eucalyptus oil preparations on
neurophysiological and experimental algesimetric headache
parameters. Cephalalgia, 14, 228-34.
Thirty two healthy males were included in
a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study with
a cross-over design. The study found that the combination
peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, and ethanol had significant
muscle and mental relaxing effect, which increased cognitive
performance. However, little influence on pain sensitivity
was indicated.
Sharma, J. N., Srivastaba, K. C., Gan, E.
K. (1994). Suppressive effects of eugenol and ginger oil
on arthritic rats. Pharmacology, 49, 314-8.
The study evaluated the effect of eugenol and ginger oil
on induced chronic adjuvant arthritis in rats. The study
demonstrated the suppressive effect of ginger oil (ingwerol)
and eugenol on severe knee and paw arthritis in rats.
The findings indicate that eugenol and ginger oil have
potent anti-inflammatory and/or antirheumatic properties.
Srivasta, K. C., Mustafa, T. (1992). Ginger
(Zingiber officinale) in Rheumatism and Musculoskeletal
Disorders. Medical Hypotheses, 39, 342-8.
The questionnaire-based open-trial involving 56 patients
evaluated the effects of ginger in rheumatoid arthritis,
osteoarthritis and muscular discomfort. More than 75 percent
of the arthritis patients experienced relief in pain and
swelling to varying degree and all the patients with muscular
discomfort experienced relief in pain. The mechanism of
ginger’s ameliorative effects could be due to inhibition
of prostaglandin and leukotriene biosyntheis.
Psychological Effects
Alexandrovich, I., Rakovitskaya, O., Kolmo,
E., Sidorova, T., Shushunov, S. (2003). The effect of
fennel (Foeniculum Volgare) seed oil emulsion in infantile
colic: a randomized, placebo-controlled study. Alternative
Therapies in Health and Medicine, 9(4), 58-61.
This double-blind randomized placebo-controlled
trial evaluated the effectiveness of fennel seed oil emulsion
in infantile colic. The results showed that the colic
of 65% of the infants in the treatment group was eliminated
comparing with 23.7% in the control group and the difference
was statistically significant. The study indicates that
fennel seed oil emulsion is superior to placebo in decreasing
intensity of infantile colic.
Ballard, C. G., O’Brien, J. T., Reichelt,
K., Perry, E. K. (2002). Aromatherapy as a safe and effective
treatment for the management of agitation in severe dementia:
the results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
with Melissa. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 63, 553-8.
Ballard et al (2002) conducted the first
double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled study to evaluate
the efficacy of aromatherapy for the treatment of behavioral
and psychological symptoms in dementia (BPSD). Seventy
one patients completed the trial. Patients received aromatherapy
experienced significant improvement in agitation and quality
of life comparing with the control group.
Lucks, B. C., Sorensen, J., Veal, L. (2002).
Vitex agnus-castus essential oil and menopausal balance:
a self-care survey. Complementary Therapies in Nursing
and Midwifery, 8, 148-54.
The authors surveyed 33 women who were in
the perimenopausal to postmenopausal transition and volunteered
to participate the study. The returned 3-page questionnaires
from 23 women indicated that the use of Vitex essential
oil (both leaf and berry) helped the majority of respondents
relieve their menopausal symptoms to a sufficient degree.
The leaf essential oil appears to have a broader range
of actions including addressing psychological aspects.
Itai, T., Amayasu, H., Kuribayashi, M.,
Kawamura, N., Okada, M., Momose, A., Tateyama, T., Narumi,
K., Waka, Kaneko, U.S. (2000). Psychological effects of
aromatherapy on chronic hemodialysis patients. Psychiatry
and Clinical Neurosciences, 54, 393-7.
Fourteen female inpatients with chronic
renal failure were selected to participate the study to
evaluate the psychological effects of aromatherapy. Natural
hospital smells and odorless conditions were systematically
used as control periods. It was found that hiba oil aroma
significantly decreased the mean scores of the Hamilton
rating scale for depression (HAMD) and lavendar aroma
significantly decreased the mean scores of the Hamilton
rating scale for anxiety (HAMA). There is no significant
difference of the mean scores between those in an odorless
condition and those in the control conditions.
O'Brien M. E. (1999). Aromatherapy: a definite
mood booster... commentary on Schiffman S. S., Sattely-Miller
E. A., Suggs M. S. et al. The effect of pleasant odors
and hormone status on mood of women at midlife. Brain
Research Bulletin, 1995, 36, 19-29. Complementary Medicine
for the Physician, 4(4):26-7.
Two placebo-controlled studies were conducted
to evaluate 56 women and 60 men in their middle-age in
the Department of Psychiatry at the Duke University Medical
Center. It was found that tension, depression, confusion
and mood disturbance were significantly alleviated in
the presence of pleasant odors, with no effect on physiologic
symptoms of menopause for women. For men, fragrance scores
were also significantly better than with placebo for all
six mood factors and mood disturbances. The findings suggested
that the use of pleasing odors has potential therapeutic
effect in coping with midlife.
Wilkinson, S., Aldridge, J., Salmon, I.,
Cain, E., & Wilson. B. (1999) An evaluation of aromatherapy
massage in palliative care. Palliative Medicine, 13, 409-17.
Wilkinson et al (1999) studied 103 patients
to assess the effects of massage and aromatherapy massage
on cancer patients in a palliative care setting. The authors
found that patients with massage had a statistically significant
reduction in anxiety. Massage with essential oil improve
the outcome measurement of physical and psychological
symptoms and overall quality of life.
Lis-Balchin, M., Hart, S. (1997). A preliminary
study of the effect of essential oils on skeletal and
smooth muscle in vitro. Journal of Ethnopharmacology,
58, 183-7.
This study examined the pharmacological
activity of nine commercial essential oils. The results
indicate that certain essential oils (clary sage, dill,
fennel, frankinsense and nutmeg) produced a contracture
and inhibition of the twitch response to nerve stimulation
on skeletal muscle; thyme had a contracture without a
change in the twitch response; lavender reduced the twitch
response alone and camphor increased the size of the twitch
response. The findings supported previous work in showing
that essential oils have selective actions on biological
tissues and the actions were not non-specific toxic actions
on cell membranes.
Dunn, C., Sleep, J., Collett, D. (1994).
Sensing an improvement: an experimental study to evaluate
the use of aromatherapy, massage and periods of rest in
an intensive care unit. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 21,
34-40.
The experimental study randomly allocated 122 patients
into receive either massage, aromatherapy using essential
oil of lavender, or a period of rest. The assessment from
93 patients found no statistically significant differences
in the physiological stress indicators or observed or
reported behavior of patients’ ability to cope following
any of the three interventions. But the patients in the
aromatherapy group reported significantly greater improvement
in their mood and perceived levels of anxiety than those
in the other two groups.
Other interesting studies
Oyedele, A. O., Gbolade, A. A., Sosan, M.B.,
Adewoyin, F. B., Soyelu, O.L., & Orafidiya, O. O.
(2002). Formulation of an effective mosquito-repellent
topical product from Lemongrass oil. Phytomedicine, 9,
259-62.
The study tested the mosquito repellency of six different
formulations of lemongrass oil in different classes of
base and the oil in liquid paraffin solution. The repellency
exhibited by the 1% v/v solution and 15% v/w cream and
ointment preparations of the lemongrass oil was comparable
to the of a commercial mosquito repellent.
Dwivedi, C. & Zhang, Y. (1999). Sandalwood
oil prevents skin tumour development in CD1 mice. European
Journal of Cancer Prevention, 8, 449-55.
This laboratory research investigated the
chemopreventive effects of sandalwood oil (SW oil) on
CD1 mice. The results suggested that SW oil treatment
(100ul, 5% in acetone, twice a week, topically) significantly
decreased papilloma incidence by 67% and multiplicity
by 96% in a concentration and time-dependent manner in
the studied mice. It was suggested that SW oil may be
useful to prevent chemically induced skin cancer.
Al-Hader, A. A., Hasan, Z. A., Aqel, M.
B. (1994). Hyperglycemic and insulin release inhibitory
effects of rosmarinus officinalis. Journal of Ethnopharmacology,
43, 217:22.
Al-Hader et al (1994) evaluated the effects
of the volatile oil extracted from the leaves of Rosmarinus
officinalis on glucose and insulin levels in normal rabbits.
The results show that the intramuscular (i.m.) administration
of the volatile oil increased the levels of plasma glucose
and decreased the levels of serum insulin significantly
comparing with the control animals. It suggested that
the volatile oil of R. offcinalis has hyperglycemic and
insulin release inhibitory effects in the rabbits.
Rose, J. E. & Behm, F. M. (1994). Inhalation
of vapor from black pepper extract reduced smoking withdrawal
symptoms. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 34, 225-9.
Forty-eight cigarette smokers were randomly
assigned to one of the three groups after overnight deprivation
from smoking. Participants who puffed and inhaled a vapor
from essential oil of black pepper reported significantly
less cravings for cigarette than those in the other two
control groups who puffed on the device with a mint/menthol
or an empty cartridge. Those in the essential oil group
also reported less negative affect and somatic symptoms
of anxiety.
Hay, I.C., Jamieson, M., Ormerod, A. D.
(1998). Randomized Trial of Aromatherapy. Archives of
Dermatology, 134, 1349-52.
This randomized, double-blind, controlled
trial assessed the efficacy of essential oils (thyme,
rosemary, lavender, and cedarwood) in the treatment of
86 patients with alopecia areata. There were significantly
more patients in the treatment group (19/43) who showed
improvement than
that in the control group (6/41). It was
shown that aromatherapy was significantly more effective
than treatment with the carrier oil alone in treating
alopecial areata.
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