7 / 17
Pharmacognosy 2019
March 11-12, 2019
London, UK
American Journal of Ethnomedicine
ISSN: 2348-9502
Page 25
Pharmacognosy and
Medicinal Plants
7
th
Edition of International Conference on
The potential of lemon-balm (
Melissa officinalis
) essential
oil to suppress anxiety related behavior in animals
Nikola M Stojanović, Pavle Randjelović, Marko Mladenović, Nenad Stojiljković,
Sonja Ilić, Gordana Nikolić
and
Niko S Radulović
University of Nis, Serbia
A
nxiety disorders are among the most frequent
psychiatric diseases with around ¼ of the world
population suffering from these disorders during their
lifetimes [1, 2]. Besides psyche related symptoms these
patients can have a large number of somatic symptoms as
well. Although, the treatment of these disorders is mainly
focused on resolving its 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 potential activity of
M. officinalis
essential oil was evaluated in several
in vitro
models and
in vivo
animal studies mimicking or involving
anxiety-related somatic symptoms. Effects of
M. officinalis
essential oil on BALB/c mice motor activity was estimated
using an open field, rotarod and horizontal wire tests. 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). Additionally,
the essential oil was assayed for its potential in inhibiting
acetylcholinesterase activity and was found to be a very
weak enzyme inhibitor. The potential beneficial properties
of the essential oil on the function of the gastrointestinal
system were evaluated in the models of spontaneous and
induced isolatedmouse ileumcontractions. Concentrations
of the essential oil higher than 1 μg/mLwere found to inhibit
both spontaneous and induced ileum contractions. The
observed activity of the essential oil could be attributed
to a large number of different constituents of the oil, most
probably themonoterpenes which represent more than 50%
of the oil.
Recent Publications
1. Ballard C G, O’Brien J T, Reichelt K and Perry E
K (2002) Aromatherapy as a safe and effective
treatment for the management of agitation in
severe dementia: The results of a double-blind,
placebo-controlled trial with Melissa. J Clin
Psychiatry 63(7):553-558.
2. Stojanović N M, Samardžić L J, Randjelović
P J and Radulović N S (2017) Prevalence of
self-medication practice with herbal products
among non-psychotic psychiatric patients from
southeastern Serbia: A cross-sectional study.
Saudi Pharm J. 25(6):884-890.
Nikola M Stojanović et al., Am J Ethnomed 2019, Volume 6
DOI: 10.21767/2348-9502-C1-008