International Journal of Aromatherapy最新文献

Microwave “Dry” Distillation or microwave accelerated distillation (MAD) is proposed as a method for “green” extraction of edible essential oils extensively used in the fragrance, flavour, and pharmaceutical industries and also in aromatherapy. It is a combination of microwave heating and dry distillation, performed at atmospheric pressure without adding any solvent or water. Isolation and concentration of volatile compounds is performed by a single stage. Rosemary was extracted with MAD at atmospheric pressure and 100 °C for 30 min. The extracted compounds were removed from the aqueous extract by simple decantation, determined by gas chromatography-flame ionisation (GC-FID) and identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Hydrodistillation of rosemary was performed with 2 L of water for 3 h for comparison of the results with those provided by the proposed method: extraction time, yields, chemical composition and quality of the essential oil, efficiency and costs of the process. Extraction of essential oils from rosemary with MAD was better in terms of energy saving, extraction time (30 min versus 3 h), oxygenated fraction (59% versus 46%), exact product yield (0.6% versus 0.6%) and product quality. MAD is a green technology and appears as a good alternative for the extraction of edible essential oils from aromatic plants used in aromatherapy and the food industry.

We examined whether it was possible to practice hygienic massage by using six essential oils (eucalyptus, lavender, niaouli, sage, tea tree, and thyme linalool) that in previous studies or anecdotally have been found to have antibacterial effects. First, to determine the inhibitory properties of the six essential oils against 4.80 × 10⁵ colony forming units (CFU) of strain ATCC-25923 of Staphylococcus aureus, we used a disc method to measure the inhibition zones. Niaouli and eucalyptus showed higher growth inhibitory effects. We then examined the results of using these two essential oils in seven different massage sessions. The niaouli and eucalyptus were each diluted to 1%, 3%, or 6% v/v with jojoba oil base and jojoba oil without any essential oil was used as a control. Bacterial samples were taken from the therapist’s palms and the subject’s skin, and the surviving bacteria were counted.

The antibacterial effects were correlated in vitro with the concentration of the essential oil and massage sessions with niaouli oil were more hygienic than those with eucalyptus oil.

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The antibacterial and antifungal activity of ten essential oils was tested against a range of vaginal bacterial and fungal strains isolated from existing vaginal infections including Atopobium vaginae, Gardnerella vaginalis, Bacteroides vulgatus, Streptococcus agalactiae, H₂O₂-producing lactobacilli and non H₂O₂-producing lactobacilli, Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis and Candida tropicalis.

Investigation of the in vitro susceptibility of the essential oils against bacteria revealed that lemongrass, tea tree and lavender exhibited the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) at 1–2.5 μl/ml, thus being the most potent essential oils against the tested bacteria. Interestingly, the MIC and MBC values of palmarosa, neroli, manuka, rose-scented geranium, rosemary, common thyme and clary sage were at ⩾7.5 μl/ml for protective H₂O₂-lactobacilli but lower for pathogentic bacteria. The MIC and minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) for lemongrass, palmarosa, lavender and rose scented geranium were at 1–2.5 μl/ml. All other essential oils were less potent.

Overall, lemongrass, palmarosa, lavender and rose scented geranium were the most potent oils in the inhibition of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. However, further investigations in the form of clinical studies are necessary to ascertain the therapeutic use of these essential oils in the combat of vaginal infections.

Public and healthcare professionals’ interest in the use of aromatherapy to ease levels of psychological distress and improve the quality of life for cancer patients is greater than ever. Aromatherapy is increasingly incorporated into clinical practice, particularly in palliative care settings, and has been reported as the most commonly used complementary therapy within the NHS. Yet questions remain regarding the safety and efficacy of essential oil use and there are concerns around the evidence available to support actual benefits. Much of the evidence is anecdotal with a distinct lack of quantitative and objective data available, due to concerns about scientific research methods for complementary therapies. This article is a review of the literature relating to the safety and efficacy of aromatherapy use for cancer care, and will highlight methodological issues and implications for research. However, the primary aim is to provide cancer patients and their carers’ access to the body of information and research available, thereby enabling patient empowerment through choice and education.

The volatile oil obtained by hydrodistillation of air-dried samples of the leaf of Brachystegia eurycoma Harms, Caesalphinaceae, have been studied for their constituents by GC–MS. Oxygenated monoterpenoids (35.9%) and sesquiterpenoid hydrocarbons (30.7%) are the major class of compounds identified occurring in higher proportions. The main compounds of the leaf oil are 1,8-cineole (23.1%) and acorenone (10.0%). β-Caryophyllene (5.6%) and geranyl acetone (4.5%) are also present in significant amounts. This is first report on the constituents of the oil of the plants in the genus Brachystegia. The potential chemotherapeutic effects of the oil are discussed.

The species of Cymbopogon giganteus is widely used in traditional medicine against several diseases. This study reports the inhibitory effect produced by the chemical constituents of the essential oil from leaves of C. giganteus of Benin, in vitro on 5-lipoxygenase. We assayed the antiradical scavenging activity of the sample by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method.

The essential oil of C. giganteus was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The major constituents were: trans-p-1(7),8-menthadien-2-ol (22.3%), cis-p-1(7),8-menthadien-2-ol (19.9%), trans-p-2,8-menthadien-1-ol (14.3%), cis-p-2,8-menthadien-1-ol (10.1%).

Although there is considerable anecdotal information about the antibacterial activity of lavender oils, much of this has not been substantiated by scientific or clinical evidence. In this study we assessed the activity of lavender essential oils, hydrosols and aqueous and ethanolic foliage extracts from a range of Australian grown Lavandula species. The results support the anecdotal use of lavender oils as antibacterial agents and demonstrated that some oils which had previously not been investigated (e.g., Lavandula heterophylla) display good antibacterial activity against a range of bacteria including Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, Citrobacter freundii, Proteus vulgaris, Escherichia coli, VRE and Propionibacterium acnes. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the only bacterium not susceptible to any essential oil. There was considerable variability in the activity of the essential oils however; no one oil produced the highest level of antibacterial activity against all bacteria. No correlation was observed between the percentage of major chemical components and antibacterial activity. The lavender hydrosols and aqueous foliage extracts did not have any antibacterial activity. Six of the ethanolic extracts displayed activity against Pr. vulgaris but no activity against any other organism. Further work is required to determine whether these in vitro results will be realised in a clinical environment but it is clear that not all lavenders are equal in terms of their antibacterial properties.

Many species of Thymus have been widely used in Algerian folk medicine as astringent, expectorant and cicatrising agents. This study was designed to investigate for the first time the essential oil of the aerial parts of wild growing Thymus algeriensis endemic in North Africa. The volatile oil obtained by hydrodistillation was characterized by the physico-chemical properties, GC and GC/MS techniques. The yield of the oil was 1.13% (w/w), based on dry weight. Fifty-five components, representing 94.3% of the total oil, were identified. The oil was distinguished by its high content of oxygenated monoterpenes (79.5%) and was found to possess the following major components: linalool (47.3%), thymol (29.2%) and p-cymene (6.8%). Furthermore, the oil was tested for antimicrobial activity against four bacteria, two fungi and two yeasts. This oil exhibited a significant in vitro antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis (MIC = 0.5 μL/mL), as well as against all yeast and all filamentous fungi tested (MIC = 0.5 and 1.0 μL/mL).

We should remember the widespread beneficial and practical uses of tea tree oil in aromatherapy and cosmetics worldwide. Tea tree oil is now under regulatory threat from the European Union. In the following article some important arguments are raised that reveal other sides to important aspects of this discussion. The results of two PhD theses, a comprehensive literature study report and a survey about the use of the oil could help to avoid a total and unwarranted prohibition of tea tree oil.