The Science Behind Lavender

The purpose of this research was to assess the anti conflict effects that lavender oil has on ICR mice and the specific constituents that contribute to these effects. A lack of evidence supports the claim of using lavender oil for medicinal application. The researchers hypothesized that the active compounds produce anti-anxiety effects. Using the Geller and Vogel conflict tests, the mice are subjected to situations where they must choose between receiving food or water and experiencing a mild electric shock, creating a measurable anxiety response. Using lavender oil, the researchers aim to learn about potential alternative treatment options to manage anxiety disorders. The importance of this study relates to the interest in using natural remedies to treat anxiety and identifying the active components to be used for therapeutic applications.

Figure 1 examines lavender oil’s effects on anxiety in ICR mice using the Geller and Vogel conflict tests. The independent variable was lavender oil dosage (200–1600 mg/kg), the dependent variable was the anti conflict reaction, and the control group were those that received no treatment or only olive oil. Mice were given 800–1600 mg/kg which was a 20–30% increase in response rates in the Geller test, indicating reduced fear. In the Vogel test, the 800 mg/kg group received more shocks indicating lower anxiety levels, supporting the hypothesis that lavender oil has anxiolytic effects, reinforcing its potential as a natural anxiety treatment.

Figure 3 examines linalool’s effects on anxiety in ICR mice using the Geller and Vogel conflict tests. The independent variable was linalool dosage (100–600 mg/kg), the dependent variable was anxiety-related behavior, and the control group received no treatment or a non-active lavender oil component. Mice that received 600 mg/kg showed increased response rates in the Geller test, while those at 400 mg/kg received more shocks in the Vogel test. While this shows reduction in fear, these results confirm that linalool is the primary active ingredient in lavender oil’s anxiolytic effects, reinforcing its potential as a natural anxiety treatment.

Figure 5 examines the effects of borneol, a lavender oil component, on anxiety in ICR mice using the Geller and Vogel conflict tests. The independent variable was borneol dosage (100–800 mg/kg), the dependent variable was anxiety-related behavior, and the control group received no treatment or a non-active lavender oil component. In the Geller test, mice given 800 mg/kg showed increased response rates, indicating reduced anxiety, but the Vogel test showed no significant effect. This suggests that borneol contributes to lavender oil’s anxiolytic properties but may act through different neural pathways than linalool.

The research on lavender oil, linalool, and borneol shows that they may be useful as natural anxiety-reducing substances. Both tests of lavender oil showed that it could help reduce conflict (Figure 1). Linalool also showed the same effects, showing that it is a key active ingredient (Figure 3). On the other hand, borneol only worked in the Geller test, which suggests a different way it works (Figure 5). These results show that more study needs to be done on how these chemicals affect neural pathways, especially those that are GABAergic and glutamatergic. More research could be done to find out how they work best when used together as natural alternatives to traditional anxiety treatments.

Umezu, T., Nagano, K., Ito, H., Kosakai, K., Sakaniwa, M., & Morita, M. (2006). Anticonflict

effects of lavender oil and identification of its active constituents. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 85(4), 713-21. 10.1016/j.pbb.2006.10.026.