Department of Biology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Bd. Carol I, No. 11, Iasi 700506, Romania.
Phytomedicine. 2012 Apr 15;19(6):529-34. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2012.02.002. Epub 2012 Mar 6.
Lavender is reported to be an effective medical plant in treating inflammation, depression, stress and mild anxiety in Europe and the USA. The present study investigated the effects of two different lavender essential oils from Lavandula angustifolia ssp. angustifolia Mill. (Lamiaceae) and Lavandula hybrida Rev. (Lamiaceae) on neurological capacity of male Wistar rats subjected to scopolamine (0.7mg/kg)-induced dementia rat model. Chronic exposures to lavender essential oils (daily, for 7 continuous days) significantly reduced anxiety-like behavior and inhibited depression in elevated plus-maze and forced swimming tests, suggesting anxiolytic and antidepressant activity. Also, spatial memory performance in Y-maze and radial arm-maze tasks was improved, suggesting positive effects on memory formation. Taken together, multiple exposures to lavender essential oils could effectively reverse spatial memory deficits induced by dysfunction of the cholinergic system in the rat brain and might provide an opportunity for management neurological abnormalities in dementia conditions.
薰衣草被报道在治疗炎症、抑郁、压力和轻度焦虑方面在欧洲和美国是一种有效的药用植物。本研究调查了两种不同的薰衣草精油（狭叶薰衣草亚种狭叶薰衣草（唇形科）和薰衣草杂种（唇形科））对东莨菪碱（0.7mg/kg）诱导的痴呆大鼠模型中雄性 Wistar 大鼠神经能力的影响。慢性暴露于薰衣草精油（每天连续 7 天）可显著减少焦虑样行为，并抑制高架十字迷宫和强迫游泳试验中的抑郁，表明具有抗焦虑和抗抑郁活性。此外，Y 迷宫和放射臂迷宫任务中的空间记忆性能得到改善，表明对记忆形成有积极影响。综上所述，多次接触薰衣草精油可有效逆转因大鼠大脑胆碱能系统功能障碍引起的空间记忆缺陷，并可能为痴呆症患者的神经功能异常的治疗提供机会。
