Effects of Thai Local Ingredient Odorants, Litsea cubeba and Garlic Essential Oils, on Brainwaves and Moods

Abstract

The functional food market is growing with a compound annual growth rate of 7.9%. Thai food recipes use several kinds of herbs. Lemongrass, garlic, and turmeric are ingredients used in Thai curry paste. Essential oils released in the preparation step create the flavor and fragrance of the famous tom yum and massaman dishes. While the biological activities of these ingredients have been investigated, including the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities, there is still a lack of understanding regarding the responses to the essential oils of these plants. To investigate the effects of essential oil inhalation on the brain and mood responses, electroencephalography was carried out during the non-task resting state, and self-assessment of the mood state was performed. The essential oils were prepared in several dilutions in the range of the supra-threshold level. The results show that Litsea cubeba oil inhalation showed a sedative effect, observed from alpha and beta wave power reductions. The frontal and temporal regions of the brain were involved in the wave alterations. Garlic oil increased the alpha wave power at lower concentrations; however, a sedative effect was also observed at higher concentrations. Lower dilution oil induced changes in the fast alpha activity in the frontal region. The alpha and beta wave powers were decreased with higher dilution oils, particularly in the temporal, parietal, and occipital regions. Both Litsea cubeba and turmeric oils resulted in better positive moods than garlic oil. Garlic oil caused more negative moods than the others. The psychophysiological activities and the related brain functions require further investigation. The knowledge obtained from this study may be used to design functional food products.

Effect of combined treatment including Litsea cubeba essential oil and wood smoke on Aspergillus niger development and consumer acceptability of dried catfish (Ariidae)

“…In addition, a significant rise in alpha and beta waves was found in all frequency bands, from SA to FA and LB to HB. Sattayakhom et al (2021) reported that the inhalation of LC had a sedative effect, which was observed from a decline in alpha and beta wave intensity; this was inconsistent with our results. Furthermore, the novel flavour of LC in combination with SM inhalation activated the alpha waves in all domains, thus increasing concentration and restfulness as well (Cho, 2017).…”

The Analgesic Potential of Litsea Species: A Systematic Review

“…The oil of L. cubeba reportedly contains up to 70% of citral and has thus garnered a lot of interest as a commercially vital crop source for the production of citral, which is otherwise widely extracted from Cymbopogon citrates (lemongrass) [85]. Citral is a monoterpene that has been used as an antispasmodic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, diuretic and sedative in traditional medicine [85,86]. It was confirmed to reduce neuronal excitability via inhibitory neurotransmitter modification, which, in turn, aids anxiety, insomnia, convulsion, pain and cognitive deficits [86].…”

“…Citral is a monoterpene that has been used as an antispasmodic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, diuretic and sedative in traditional medicine [85,86]. It was confirmed to reduce neuronal excitability via inhibitory neurotransmitter modification, which, in turn, aids anxiety, insomnia, convulsion, pain and cognitive deficits [86]. In addition to citral, aporphine alkaloids and lignans are also considered major active components identified in the fruits and roots of L. cubeba due to their anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, analgesic and antinociceptive properties [87,88].…”

Anti-inflammatory and memory-enhancing properties of Chinese herbal extracts: The possible application in Alzheimer’s disease

“…The L. cubeba essential oil also displayed its effect on anxiolytic and analgesic activities and prolonged sleeping in ICR mice [ 53 ]. Furthermore, the study on healthy female subjects demonstrated that L. cubeba essential oil has a sedative effect by decreasing alpha and beta wave powers [ 54 ]. In addition, L. cubeba essential oil can improve mood disorders and reduce confusion accompanied with decreased cortisol levels in the saliva of healthy subjects [ 55 ].…”