Abstract
R - (+) - limonene is a monoterpene found in several plant species. Studies have shown that plants that have this compound has anxiolytic activity. This study aimed to investigate the anxiolytic and toxicological activity in rats after inhalation of R - (+) - limonene for 30 min. For the anxiety tests using Elevated Plus Maze (EPM), concentrations of 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0% were determined. From the results, it was observed that the last concentration had achieved anxiolytic effect. Based on these results, it was found by biochemical and hematological tests, toxicity of 5% concentration in the period of 30 days with minor significant changes. In the hematological parameters, MCV, MCH and MCHC values were significant when compared to the control group, but were within the normal range when compared to values found ​​in literature. In the biochemical parameters, changes occurred in AST and LDH levels. Elevated LDH levels can cause destruction of erythrocyte precursor cells in the bone marrow. In turn, AST may be associated to small changes in the liver. Therefore, the results demonstrated an anxiolytic activity with low toxicity at dose of 5% R - (+) - limonene via inhalation for 30 min. Key words: R-(+)-limonene, inhalation, biochemical, hematological, anxiolytic, toxicity.
Highlights
The therapeutic effects of essential oils (EOs) on physical and psychological disorders are well known
EOs, administered via inhalation, stimulate the olfactory nerves that have an effect on the brain, which results in behavioral changes in animals and humans (Su et al, 2009; Lawless, 2002)
Previous studies have shown that the administration of R - (+) limonene (0.5 and 1.0%) in mice via inhalation produced anxiolytic effect in an elevated plus maze model (Lima et al, 2013)
Summary
The therapeutic effects of essential oils (EOs) on physical and psychological disorders are well known. EOs, administered via inhalation, stimulate the olfactory nerves that have an effect on the brain, which results in behavioral changes in animals and humans (Su et al, 2009; Lawless, 2002). Their use may represent an alternative method for the treatment of disorders such as. The use of a quality control concept and hematological and biochemical analyses using appropriate statistics for the clinical pathology examination of animals are very important for toxicity studies (Matsuzawa et al, 1995). These data were analyzed using GraphPad Prism software (version 5.0), with experimental group being compared with the control group. (*) P-value
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