Planta Med 2013; 79 - PN116
DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1352458

Mood enhancement by bergamot (Citrus bergamia (Risso) Wright & Arn.) volatile oil vapor with regards to personality and lifestyle related changes in salivary cortisol levels: A randomized cross-over trial

E Watanabe 1, K Kuchta 2, HW Rauwald 3, T Kamei 4, J Imanishi 5
  • 1Department of Immunology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamikyo, Kyoto 602 – 8566 Japan
  • 2Education and Research Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Sanyo Gakuen University, 1 – 14 – 1 Hirai, Naka-ku, Okayama 703 – 8501 Japan
  • 3Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21 – 23, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
  • 4Center for Industry, University and Government Cooperation, Nagasaki University, 1 – 14 Bunkyo, Nagasaki 852 – 8521 Japan
  • 5MUIM Center for Integrative Medicine, Meiji University of Integrative Medicine, 2 – 4 Higashi-Sakaidani-cho, Ooharano, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 610 – 1143 Japan

In spite of still insufficient clinical evidence, bergamot essential oil (BEO) is widely used in aromatherapy for chronic stress and anxiety. In a randomized cross-over trial, data were collected under three testing conditions – rest (R); rest + water vapor (RW); rest + water vapor + BEO (RWB) (GC-MS: 45.45% limonene, 23.10% of linalyl acetate, 8.05% γ-terpinen, 7.25% β-pinene, 6.50% linalool, 1.35% α-pinene, 0.35% geranial) – for 15 min each in 42 healthy women, who had to fill out an initial personality traits and lifestyle questionnaire before the trial. Heart rate variability was recorded continuously, calculating its high-frequency component (HF), and saliva samples were collected for latter determination of salivary cortisol (CS) levels via ELISA after each test, while the subjects were given 10 min of rest and an additional 10 min to fill out psychological questionnaires. In comparison to the pure water placebo, the BEO vapor data show a significant increase in HF heart rate components (p = 0.009), indicating increased activity of the autonomous nervous system, as well as a decrease in confusion (p = 0.035) and fatigue (p = 0.042), paired with enhanced vigor of mood (p = 0.017). Change patterns of CS values were highly correlated with basic personality traits of the individual volunteers: CS levels decreased in 32 subjects (CS-D group) but increased in the remaining 10 (CS-I group). When comparing the lifestyles of this CS-I group with those of the of the CS-D group, the former were significantly more ordered (t =-2.08, p = 0.044) and values for extraversion (t = 1.92, p = 0.048), and optimism (t = 2.17, p = 0.035) were higher, while their feelings of fatigue (t =-2.61, p = 0.012) were lower. The data at hand indicate that BEO, when inhaled after dispersion in water vapor, exhibits swift psychological and physiological effects favorable for the therapy of chronic fatigue, stress, and anxiety, but also emphasize the influence of individual lifestyle on these conditions.