Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Serbia.
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, University of Niš, Serbia.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2022 Feb 10;284:114788. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114788. Epub 2021 Oct 28.
Besides psyche-related symptoms, patients with anxiety disorders can have a large number of somatic symptoms as well. Although the treatment of these disorders is mainly focused on resolving their mental component, one cannot neglect the need for the treatment of accompanying somatic symptoms. Melissa officinalis L. (lemon balm), in various formulations, has been extensively used as an ethnomedicinal remedy for the treatment of different psyche-related symptoms, and its use is considered relatively safe.
In the present study, the activity of M. officinalis (MO) essential oil was evaluated in several in vitro and in vivo models mimicking or involving anxiety-related somatic symptoms.
To address the effect of MO essential oil on the gastrointestinal and heart-related symptoms accompanying anxiety disorders, in vitro models were utilized that follow the function of the isolated mouse ileum and atria tissues, respectively, after exposure to MO essential oil. Effects of MO essential oil on BALB/c mice motor activity was estimated using the open field, rota-rod, and horizontal wire tests. Additionally, the essential oil was assayed for its potential in inhibiting acetylcholinesterase activity.
The performance of mice treated with 25 mg/kg of the oil showed a statistically significant decrease in the motor impairment arising from acute anxiety (open field test), while there was a prolonged latency and a reduction of the frequency of falling from a rotating rod and/or a horizontal wire (signs of muscle weakness/spasms). Concentrations of the essential oil higher than 1 μg/mL were found to inhibit both spontaneous and induced ileum contractions. Moreover, the essential oil and citronellal were found to decrease isolated mouse atria contraction frequency, as well as contraction force. However, the oil was found to be a very weak acetylcholinesterase inhibitor.
The modulation of anxiety-related symptoms by the oil was found not to be mediated through the inhibition of the acetylcholinesterase, nonetheless, the mechanistic studies involving the ileum and cardiac tissues, revealed that the activity of MO and citronellal might be related to the modification of either voltage-gated Ca channels or muscarinic receptors. Mice locomotion, balance, and muscle strength were not impacted by the essential oil; however, its main constituent, citronellal, was found to exert a certain degree of muscle function inhibition. All these results suggest that the activity of MO essential oil arises from synergistic and/or antagonistic interactions of its constituents, and is not completely dependent on the oil's main constituent.
除了与心理相关的症状外，焦虑症患者还可能有大量躯体症状。虽然这些疾病的治疗主要集中在解决其心理成分上，但也不能忽视对伴随躯体症状的治疗需求。柠檬香蜂草（柠檬香脂）以各种配方形式，被广泛用作治疗各种与心理相关症状的民族医学疗法，其使用被认为相对安全。
在本研究中，评估了柠檬香蜂草（MO）精油在几种模拟或涉及焦虑相关躯体症状的体外和体内模型中的活性。
为了研究 MO 精油对焦虑症伴随的胃肠道和心脏相关症状的影响，使用了分别暴露于 MO 精油后的分离小鼠回肠和心房组织的体外模型。使用旷场、转棒和水平丝试验评估 MO 精油对 BALB/c 小鼠运动活动的影响。此外，还测定了精油抑制乙酰胆碱酯酶活性的潜力。
用 25mg/kg 的油处理的小鼠在急性焦虑（旷场试验）引起的运动障碍方面表现出统计学上的显著降低，而在旋转棒和/或水平丝上的潜伏期延长和摔倒频率降低（肌肉无力/痉挛的迹象）。发现精油浓度高于 1μg/ml 时可抑制自发性和诱导性回肠收缩。此外，发现柠檬醛和香茅醛可降低分离的小鼠心房收缩频率和收缩力。然而，该油被发现是一种非常弱的乙酰胆碱酯酶抑制剂。
精油对焦虑相关症状的调节似乎不是通过抑制乙酰胆碱酯酶介导的，尽管涉及回肠和心脏组织的机制研究表明，MO 和香茅醛的活性可能与电压门控 Ca 通道或毒蕈碱受体的修饰有关。MO 精油对小鼠的运动、平衡和肌肉力量没有影响；然而，其主要成分香茅醛被发现对肌肉功能有一定程度的抑制作用。所有这些结果表明，MO 精油的活性来自其成分的协同和/或拮抗相互作用，而不完全依赖于精油的主要成分。
