School of Allied Health Sciences, Walailak University, Nakhonsithammarat 80160, Thailand.
Center of Excellence in Innovation of Essential Oil and Bioactive Compounds, Walailak University, Nakhonsithammarat 80160, Thailand.
Molecules. 2023 Apr 27;28(9):3771. doi: 10.3390/molecules28093771.
Essential oils are a mixture of natural aromatic volatile oils extracted from plants. The use of essential oils is ancient, and has prevailed in different cultures around the world, such as those of the Egyptians, Greeks, Persians, and Chinese. Today, essential oils are used in traditional and complimentary medicines, aromatherapy, massage therapies, cosmetics, perfumes and food industries. The screening effect of essential oils has been studied worldwide. They demonstrate a range of biological activities, such as antiparasitic, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antiaging, and neuroprotective properties. In this scoping review, we provide a 10-year updated comprehensive assessment of volatile oils and their effects on the nervous system. MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar were systematically and strategically searched for original studies investigating these effects from 2012 to 2022. Approximately seventy studies were selected as included studies. Among these studies, several outcomes were reported, including antistress, antianxiety, analgesic, cognitive, and autonomic effects. Some essential oils showed developmental benefits, with the potential to induce neurite outgrowth. The neurotransmitter receptor level can also be modified by essential oil application. Physiological and pathophysiological outcome measures were reported. For physiological outcomes, arousal, cognitive performance, circadian eating behavior, emotional modulation, consumer acceptance, preferences, and willingness to buy were investigated. For pathophysiological conditions, pain, depression, anxiety, stress, sleep disorder, mental fatigue, agitated behavior, and quality of life were measured. In conclusion, essential oils showed promising effects on the nervous system, which can be further applied to their use in functional foods, drinks, and alternative therapy.
精油是从植物中提取的天然芳香挥发性油的混合物。精油的使用历史悠久，在世界各地的不同文化中都很盛行，如古埃及、古希腊、波斯和中国文化。如今，精油在传统和补充医学、芳香疗法、按摩疗法、化妆品、香水和食品工业中都有应用。全世界都在研究精油的屏蔽作用。它们表现出一系列的生物活性，如抗寄生虫、抗真菌、抗菌、抗病毒、抗氧化、抗炎、抗癌、抗衰老和神经保护特性。在本次范围综述中，我们提供了对挥发性油及其对神经系统影响的十年最新综合评估。通过系统和策略性地在 MEDLINE、Scopus 和 Google Scholar 上搜索，从 2012 年到 2022 年，我们找到了 70 项左右的原始研究来调查这些影响。大约 70 项研究被选为纳入研究。在这些研究中，报告了几种结果，包括抗应激、抗焦虑、镇痛、认知和自主神经作用。一些精油显示出发育益处，有诱导神经突生长的潜力。应用精油还可以调节神经递质受体水平。报告了生理和病理生理结果测量。在生理结果方面，研究了觉醒、认知表现、昼夜节律性进食行为、情绪调节、消费者接受度、偏好和购买意愿。对于病理生理状况，测量了疼痛、抑郁、焦虑、压力、睡眠障碍、精神疲劳、激动行为和生活质量。总之，精油对神经系统表现出有前景的作用，可进一步将其应用于功能性食品、饮料和替代疗法。
