International Journal of Aromatherapy最新文献

The influence of 37 essential oils, absolutes, resinoids, oleoresins and natural plant extracts were tested on the enzymatic activity of human leukocyte elastase HLE (EC 3.4.21.37). Among them, poplar bud absolute, rosemary extract, benzoin resinoid and turmeric oleoresin had an inhibitory activity significantly higher than the reference, ursolic acid. Specifically, turmeric oleoresin was the most potent inhibitor of HLE. Essential oils tested were in their majority totally inactive. Because of the specific role of human leukocyte elastase in the inflammatory process, its inhibition by such absolutes, resinoids, oleoresins or plant extracts should encourage their use in Aromatherapy and in cosmetic products for irritated, reactive and/or senescent epidermis.

Dermal application, for the majority of aromatherapists, provides the principal route for essential oil administration. Many therapists are made aware during their training of factors inherent to individuals that can effect the permeation of essential oils. Such factors include age, anatomical site, hydration of the stratum corneum and damage to the stratum corneum. The pharmacological significance of the amounts of essential oil absorbed continues to be disputed but reports of topically induced adverse reactions to essential oils and fragrances are increasingly reported. This paper seeks to provide a detailed review of the effects of age, race and disease on the barrier function of the skin and endeavours to encourage both appropriate usage and further exploration of the therapeutic topical application of essential oils in these different population subsets.

This paper addresses how the clinical effectiveness of aromatherapy may be evaluated. Aromatherapy may work through a mixture of physiological and psychological processes. These may work in synergy. Any evaluation must also be conducted in the messiness of the clinical situation and must be economic, i.e., there are not the resources to conduct the large scale randomised double-blind trials typical of pharmaceutical testing.

The different oils used and ailments treated, and the consequent different environmental, psychological and physiological factors, and different clinical situations suggest that each intervention will have to be specifically designed. However, all evaluations will involve common problems of confounding factors and of inferring causality in real-world situations, e.g., due to expectations, placebo, measurement error, small patient numbers and the limitations of double-blind procedures.

This paper illustrates how the principles of research design can be used to counter these problems with reference to the conventional case study.

This initial paper explores in a general way the disorders and the potential help that may be afforded patients by aromatherapy. In most cases, it can be of immense value, even if the patient only attains a relaxed state following an essential oil massage. For the majority of patients, as aromatherapists, we are able to offer good control of many symptoms, alleviation of their physical and emotional problems, and achieve a high level of therapeutic intervention in their multidisciplinary disease management.

Olfactory and visual effects of lavender fragrance and cut flower arrangements on cognitive performance of university students (34 females and 32 males) were examined by measuring their performance of completing a mental arithmetic task (calculating speed and calculating accuracy). For female participants, olfactory effects of the lavender fragrance tended to enhance calculating speed and calculating accuracy, and visual effects of the cut flower arrangements significantly improved calculating speed. For male participants, visual effects of the cut flower arrangements tended to improve calculating accuracy. The combined olfactory and visual treatment did not show positively additive effects to benefit cognitive performance for either gender.

This study presents the inhibitory activity of 31 essential oils tested by agar diffusion assay/aromatogramme on 658 vaginal microorganisms: 287 Candida albicans, 121 Escherichia coli, 114 Streptococcus group B (S. agalactiae), 80 Streptococcus group D (Enterococcus faecalis), 30 Staphylococcus aureus and 26 Staphylococcus epidermis.

Statistical analysis (reciprocal averaging) demonstrates high antimicrobial activity of certain essential oils: Coridothymus capitatus Reichb. (Spanish oregano), Cinnamomum zeylanicum Ness. (Ceylon cinnamon), Cinnamomum cassia Ness. (Chinese cinnamon), Thymus vulgaris L. (Thyme), Satureja hortensis L. (savory), Thymus serpyllum L. (creeping thyme) and Pinus pinaster Ait. (turpentine resin).

The agar diffusion assay/aromatogramme ensures a more effective aromatherapy treatment. A prescription with essential oils avoids over use of antibiotics. Furthermore, in some cases essential oils can be combined with antibiotics in the treatment of infectious diseases, giving faster and longer-lasting results.