American Journal of Essential Oils and Natural Products

AUTHOR(S): Handi Suyono, FX Himawan Jong and Sumi Wijaya

ABSTRACT:Prolonged stress has a negative impact on health. Stress stimulates hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis leading to increased cortisol hormone level. Excessive cortisol causes immunity suppression, sleep disturbance, and metabolic imbalance. Essential oils have been often used to stimulate relaxation. Lavender, cedarwood, and vetiver have a relaxation effect and they are useful for anxiety and depression. Common applications are aromatherapy inhalation and topical/massage. The aim of this study was to find the effect of lavender, cedarwood, and vetiver balms of reducing plasma cortisol levels. The study design was experimental with post-test-only control group that used 4 control (negative, positive, diazepam 2 mg/kg BW, balm vehicle) and 9 treatment (lavender 10%, 20%, 30%; cedarwood 10%, 20%, 30%; vetiver 10%, 20%, 30%) groups with 9 male Wistar rats in each group. Swim test was applied daily as a stress stimulus and the balms were applied daily on the shaved back for 30 days. Data were shown as mean ± SD and analyzed using Kruskal Wallis and Spearman correlation test with a significant value of p<0.05. We found a significant difference in plasma cortisol levels between control and treatment groups (p = 0.001). The concentration of each essential oil has a significant moderate negative correlation with plasma cortisol level. The three essential oil balms reduced plasma cortisol level of prolonged swim-induced stress rats. The greater essential oils concentration has a greater effect to reduce cortisol level. The 30% concentration of each essential oil has a similar effect to diazepam. The three essential oil balms have a similar effect of reducing cortisol levels. Lavender, cedarwood, and vetiver balms have a beneficial effect as an anti-stress treatment by reducing cortisol hormone level.

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