Relaxing Effect of Rose Oil on Humans

One increasingly popular type of alternative therapy is aromatherapy, but scientific validation in this field is still rare. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of rose oil (Rosa damascena Mill, Rosaceae) on human autonomic parameters and emotional responses in healthy subjects after transdermal absorption. In order to exclude any olfactory stimulation the inhalation of the fragrances was prevented by breathing masks. Forty healthy volunteers participated in the experiments. Five autonomic parameters, i.e. blood pressure, breathing rate, blood oxygen saturation, pulse rate, and skin temperature, were recorded. Emotional responses were assessed by means of rating scales. Compared to placebo, rose oil caused significant decreases of breathing rate, blood oxygen saturation and systolic blood pressure, which indicate a decrease of autonomic arousal. At the emotional level, subjects in the rose oil group rated themselves as more calm, more relaxed and less alert than subjects in the control group. These findings are likely to represent a relaxing effect of the rose oil and provide some evidence for the use of rose oil in aromatherapy, such as causing relief of depression and stress in humans.

[1]  Tyler S. Lorig,et al.  Brain and odor: I. Alteration of human EEG by odor administration , 1988, Psychobiology.

[2]  T. Robbins,et al.  Dopaminergic and serotonergic function following isolation rearing in rats: Study of behavioural responses and postmortem and in vivo neurochemistry , 1992, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior.

[3]  D. Collett,et al.  Sensing an improvement: an experimental study to evaluate the use of aromatherapy, massage and periods of rest in an intensive care unit. , 1995, Journal of advanced nursing.

[4]  D. Brooker,et al.  Single case evaluation of the effects of aromatherapy and massage on disturbed behaviour in severe dementia. , 1997, The British journal of clinical psychology.

[5]  M. Diego,et al.  Aromatherapy positively affects mood, EEG patterns of alertness and math computations. , 1998, The International journal of neuroscience.

[6]  E P Köster,et al.  Odors: implicit memory and performance effects. , 1999, Chemical senses.

[7]  J. Aldridge,et al.  An evaluation of aromatherapy massage in palliative care , 1999, Palliative medicine.

[8]  T. Umezu Anticonflict Effects of Plant-Derived Essential Oils , 1999, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior.

[9]  John L. Andreassi,et al.  Psychophysiology: Human Behavior & Physiological Response , 2000 .

[10]  T. Hongratanaworakit,et al.  Effects of chiral fragrances on human autonomic nervous system parameters and self-evaluation. , 2001, Chemical senses.

[11]  K. Umeno,et al.  Respiratory Modulation of Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure , 2001, Circulation.

[12]  G. Sonavane,et al.  Anxiogenic activity of Myristica fragrans seeds , 2002, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior.

[13]  Luciano Bernardi,et al.  Slow Breathing Increases Arterial Baroreflex Sensitivity in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure , 2002, Circulation.

[14]  D. Barlow,et al.  Assessment of estrogenic activity in some common essential oil constituents , 2002, The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology.

[15]  M. Bensafi,et al.  Autonomic nervous system responses to odours: the role of pleasantness and arousal. , 2002, Chemical senses.

[16]  S. Haze,et al.  Effects of fragrance inhalation on sympathetic activity in normal adults. , 2002, Japanese journal of pharmacology.

[17]  Y. Kiso,et al.  Potentiation of the ionotropic GABA receptor response by whiskey fragrance. , 2002, Journal of agricultural and food chemistry.

[18]  Hiroyasu Ito,et al.  Anticonflict effects of rose oil and identification of its active constituents. , 2002, Life sciences.

[19]  Jennifer Edge A pilot study addressing the effect of aromatherapy massage on mood, anxiety and relaxation in adult mental health. , 2003, Complementary therapies in nursing & midwifery.

[20]  T. Fushiki,et al.  Autonomic Nervous Responses According to Preference for the Odor of Jasmine Tea , 2003, Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry.

[21]  Keith Wesnes,et al.  AROMAS OF ROSEMARY AND LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OILS DIFFERENTIALLY AFFECT COGNITION AND MOOD IN HEALTHY ADULTS , 2003, The International journal of neuroscience.

[22]  T. Hongratanaworakit,et al.  Evaluation of the Harmonizing Effect of Ylang-Ylang Oil on Humans after Inhalation , 2004, Planta medica.

[23]  S. Motta,et al.  Anxiolytic-like effects of rose oil inhalation on the elevated plus-maze test in rats , 2004, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior.

[24]  Y. Kiso,et al.  Fragrances in Oolong Tea That Enhance the Response of GABAA Receptors , 2004, Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry.

[25]  T. Hongratanaworakit,et al.  Evaluation of the effects of East Indian sandalwood oil and alpha-santalol on humans after transdermal absorption. , 2004, Planta medica.

[26]  T. Hongratanaworakit,et al.  Human behavioral and physiological reactions to inhalation of sweet orange oil , 2005 .

[27]  T. Field,et al.  Lavender Fragrance Cleansing Gel Effects on Relaxation , 2005, The International journal of neuroscience.

[28]  Tohru Fushiki,et al.  Sedative effects of the jasmine tea odor and (R)-(−)-linalool, one of its major odor components, on autonomic nerve activity and mood states , 2005, European Journal of Applied Physiology.

[29]  E. Motomura,et al.  The sleep-enhancing effect of valerian inhalation and sleep-shortening effect of lemon inhalation. , 2006, Chemical senses.

[30]  Gaye Kyle Evaluating the effectiveness of aromatherapy in reducing levels of anxiety in palliative care patients: results of a pilot study. , 2006, Complementary therapies in clinical practice.

[31]  N. Goel,et al.  Sleep changes vary by odor perception in young adults , 2006, Biological Psychology.

[32]  T. Hongratanaworakit,et al.  East Indian Sandalwood and alpha-santalol odor increase physiological and self-rated arousal in humans. , 2006, Planta medica.

[33]  B. Qureshi Aromatherapy Science: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals , 2006 .

[34]  T. Hongratanaworakit,et al.  Relaxing effect of ylang ylang oil on humans after transdermal absorption , 2006, Phytotherapy research : PTR.

[35]  T. Hongratanaworakit,et al.  Chemical composition and stimulating effect of Citrus hystrix oil on humans , 2007 .

[36]  R. Lea,et al.  The effects of prolonged rose odor inhalation in two animal models of anxiety , 2007, Physiology & Behavior.

[37]  B. Gorzalka,et al.  Estrogen recruits the endocannabinoid system to modulate emotionality , 2007, Psychoneuroendocrinology.

[38]  A. Stoyanova,et al.  Comparative Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity and Composition of Rose Oils from Various Geographic Origins, in Particular Bulgarian Rose Oil , 2008 .

[39]  Y. Yip,et al.  An experimental study on the effectiveness of massage with aromatic ginger and orange essential oil for moderate-to-severe knee pain among the elderly in Hong Kong. , 2008, Complementary therapies in medicine.