Effect Of Lavender Essential Oil Research Articles

Lavandula angustifolia Essential Oil Inhibits the Ability of Fusobacterium nucleatum to Produce Volatile Sulfide Compounds, a Key Components in Oral Malodor.

Oral malodor still constitutes a major challenge worldwide. A strong effort is invested in eliminating volatile sulfur compound-producing oral bacteria through organic natural products such as essential oils. Fusobacterium nucleatum is a known volatile sulfur compound-producing bacteria that inspires oral malodor. The aim of the present study was to test the effect of lavender essential oil on the bacterium's ability to produce volatile sulfide compounds, the principal components of oral malodor. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed using GC-MS. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of lavender essential oil on Fusobacterium nucleatum was determined in a previous trial. Fusobacterium nucleatum was incubated anaerobically in the presence of sub-MIC, MIC, and above MIC concentrations of lavender essential oil, as well as saline and chlorhexidine as negative and positive controls, respectively. Following incubation, volatile sulfur compound levels were measured using GC (Oralchroma), and bacterial cell membrane damage was studied using fluorescence microscopy. Chemical analysis of lavender essential oil yielded five main components, with camphor being the most abundant, accounting for nearly one-third of the total lavender essential oil volume. The MIC (4 µL/mL) of lavender essential oil reduced volatile sulfur compound secretion at a statistically significant level compared to the control (saline). Furthermore, the level of volatile sulfur compound production attributed to 1 MIC of lavender essential oil was in the range of the positive control chlorhexidine with no significant difference. When examining bacterial membrane damage, 2 MIC of lavender essential oil (i.e., 8 µL/mL) demonstrated the same, showing antibacterial membrane damage values comparative to chlorhexidine. Since lavender essential oil was found to be highly effective in hindering volatile sulfur compound production by Fusobacterium nucleatum through the induction of bacterial cell membrane damage, the results suggest that lavender essential oil may be a suitable alternative to conventional chemical-based anti-malodor agents.

Effect of Lavender Aromatherapy on Anxiety and Fatigue in Hemodialysis Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Several studies have evaluated the effects of lavender essential oil on the anxiety of hemodialysis (HD) patients, but most of them did not estimate the pooled effect size. The current systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of lavender on anxiety and fatigue among HD patients. Eligible studies were selected based on the PRISMA steps and protocol. Literature was retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus databases, Cochrane, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Google Scholar Search Engines until Sep 2022. The risk of bias and analysis were evaluated using version 2 of the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool and STATA v.14 software, respectively. Effect sizes were pooled using random effect models. Nine studies were included. Lavender oil significantly reduced the average anxiety of HD patients compared to the control group (SMD: -2.51, 95% CI: [-3.56, -1.45], Z=4.67, P<0.001, I2 :89.9%). Also, it significantly reduced the average fatigue compared to the control group (SMD: -1.56, 95% CI: [-2.49, -0.63], Z=3.29, P=0.001, I2:92.2%). Subgroup analysis indicated controversial results regarding session frequency and drop number of lavender oil. Using Lavender oil significantly reduced fatigue and anxiety in HD patients.

ICU Patient Care: The Role of Aromatherapy in Stress and Sleep Management

This narrative review article explores the integration of aromatherapy, especially using lavender essential oil, in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). It aims to assess the efficacy, safety, and implications of this practice in critical care settings, where patients frequently suffer from stress, anxiety, and sleep disturbances. The study adopts a critical narrative review methodology, systematically examining both qualitative and quantitative literature. The research covers a range of aspects, including the impact of aromatherapy on anxiety and sleep quality, specific effects of lavender essential oil in wound healing, antibacterial, and anxiolytic activities, and its use in nursing practice. While initial findings are promising, indicating potential benefits in reducing anxiety and improving sleep quality, the evidence is not yet robust, with variability in study designs and outcomes. The review highlights the need for more rigorous research, standardization of essential oil use, and incorporation of aromatherapy education in nursing curricula. It concludes that while aromatherapy, particularly with lavender essential oil, shows potential therapeutic effects in ICUs, further research and holistic integration are essential for its effective and safe application in medical practice.

The Effect of Lavender Essential Oil on Escherichia coli Growth and its Potential Applications

Escherichia coli (E. coli) infects millions worldwide annually, leading to thousands of deaths, particularly impacting those low to middle-income countries where E. coli can be found in contaminated soil, water, and surfaces (Winstead et al. 2019). In this investigation, lavender essential oil and ampicillin disks were tested against E. coli grown on an agar plate to see if they could be used as a potential antimicrobial agent in regions where E. coli infections are largely prevalent. Based on the Kirby-Bauer tests conducted in this investigation, lavender essential oil displayed a clear zone of inhibition, though it was relatively smaller than the zone of inhibition for ampicillin. Future applications to such findings could be to utilize lavender in both plant and essential oil form as a treatment for E. coli soil contaminations and a natural pest repellent, both in the agricultural industry and in regions where cost-effective, environmentally sustainable treatments may not currently exist.

Impact of essential oils on seed quality and seed-borne pathogens of Altheaofficinalis seeds of different ages

BackgroundThe cultivation of medicinal plants is a promising alternative to overcoming problems in the overharvesting of wild plants and ecosystem degradation. Cultivation depends upon two major factors: seed quality and the presence of seed-borne pathogens. Organic production of marshmallow plants (Altheaofficinalis L.) does not allow for the use of conventional pesticides. This study aimed to find an environmentally safe solution and the equilibrium between seed germination and the presence of fungal pathogens. The study was performed on a population of marshmallows which were cultivated for a period of 3 years (2018–2020) in Pančevo, The Republic of Serbia. The following six essential oils: Origanumvulgare L.,Cinnamomumcassia Presl.,Ocimumbasilicum L.,Carumcarvi L.,Menthapiperita L.,Lavandulaangustifolia Mill. at five concentrations (1%, 0.5%, 0.2%, 0.02%, 0.002%) were used for seed treatment along with water and PEG-40 (emulsifier) as controls. Germination, dormant seeds, dead seeds, abnormal seedlings and the presence of seed-borne pathogens were determined under laboratory conditions.ResultsAmong the aforementioned treatments using oregano, cinnamon, basil, caraway, mint, and lavender essential oils, the most effective treatment resulted with lavender essential oil at a concentration of 0.02% in 3-year-old seeds. The highest values for seed germination and dead seeds were 46% and 20% in 3-year-old seeds, respectively. This treatment increased seed germination by 13%, and seedling growth i.e., the growth of seedling stems and radicles by 24–35%, respectively. It also reduced the presence of seed-borne fungal pathogens from 53 to 100%.ConclusionsThe results revealed that an increase in seed germination rate and simultaneous reduction in seed-borne fungal infection was achieved with the lavender essential oil seed treatments. This is the first discovery of the stimulating effect of lavender essential oil on seed quality parameters. Furthermore, the study demonstrates its potential application in seed processing in the organic production of marshmallow plants.Graphical

A new solution for control of respiratory infection by Streptococcus equi isolated from horses in northern Iran

Respiratory infections caused by Streptococcus equi are one of the most important diseases in the equine industry. The increasing rate of antibiotic resistance among this bacterial species necessitates new antimicrobial agents. In this research, nasopharyngeal samples were taken from horses (n=90) in some areas of the Golestan Province, Iran. After isolation and identification of S. equi strains, antibiotic resistance of the isolates was evaluated using the Kirby-Bauer method. The antibacterial effect of lavender essential oil was investigated by broth microdilution assay. The frequency of streptococcal strains was 27.8%. The most frequent isolates were S. equi subsp. equi (72%) and S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus (28%). The frequency of S. equi was highest in horses aged less than 2 years (69.3%) and thoroughbred Turkmen horses (61.5%). The highest rate of resistance was observed against amoxicillin, while the highest rate of sensitivity was to ceftriaxone. Furthermore, the essential oil of lavender inhibited 90% of the isolates at concentrations ≥2048 μL/mL. Our study revealed that the frequency of antibiotic-resistant S. equi isolates was relatively high in the studied population of horses in Iran. It was concluded that essential oil of lavender possessed more potent in vitro activity than the common antibiotics for treatment of infections caused by S. equi subspecies.

Lavender essential oil fractions alleviate sleep disorders induced by the combination of anxiety and caffeine in mice

Ethnopharmacological relevanceLavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) essential oil is renowned for its use in the treatment of insomnia and mental disorder diseases in folk medicine. Previous pharmacological studies have also shown that lavender essential oil displays sedative and hypnotic activities. However, the active ingredients and mechanism of lavender essential oil for sleep-improving effect remain unclear. Aim of the studyThis study investigates whether inhalation of different fractions of lavender essential oil can attenuate the sleep disturbances induced by combined anxiety and caffeine and explores the underlying mechanisms. Materials and methodsMolecular distillation was applied to separate lavender essential oil into fractions containing different chemical components, and GC-MS was used to analyze the volatile compounds of lavender essential oil and its fractions. The elevated plus maze test, pentobarbital-induced sleep test, and neurotransmitters enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were conducted to evaluate the anxiolytic and hypnotic effects of lavender essential oil and its fractions on mice suffering from sleep disorders. ResultsThe results of behavioral tests indicated that lavender essential oil and its fractions (3%, v/v) exerted an ameliorating effect on sleep disturbances induced by anxiety and caffeine. The light fraction and heavy fractions exhibited complementary chemical composition, with the former enriched in linalool and trans-β-ocimene and the latter in linalyl acetate, lavandulyl acetate, trans-caryophyllene, etc. The light fraction contributed more to sleep maintenance, and the heavy fraction performed better at sleep initiation. The neurobiological parameters elucidated that the mechanism of lavender essential oil for sleep-improving was multifaceted, related to the GABAergic system, cholinergic system, histaminergic system, and monoamines in the limbic system. The heavy fraction shared a similar mechanism with the lavender essential oil, while the light fraction did not actively participate in the cholinergic system, histaminergic system, and dopaminergic system. ConclusionTaken together, our results demonstrated that different fractions of lavender essential oil played different roles in ameliorating sleep disorders, and this may be credited to their compositional differences and the complicated interactions with the central nervous system. The results are informative for future investigations on the molecular level mechanisms and provide guidance for appropriate applications of lavender essential oil.

The Effect of Lavender on Sleep Quality in Individuals Without Insomnia: A Systematic Review.

We reviewed 20 randomized controlled trials concerning the intervention methods and effects of lavender essential oil on adults' sleep quality. Fourteen showed positive intervention effects. A mixture of subjective and objective indicators was used. Lavender essential oil was associated with improved sleep quality before insomnia or other sleep disorders occurred.

The Effects of Lavender Essential Oil and its Clinical Implications in Dentistry: A Review.

Essential oils have been known to have many medicinal properties. They have been utilized by medical practitioners since the medieval ages. Lavender essential oil is known to be rich in medicinal properties like antimicrobial activity, anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, and antioxidant properties. Utilization of herbal products like lavender essential oils will benefit the patients in many ways. Incorporation of these properties in the field of dentistry has ample advantages.The purpose of this review article is to enlist the current and prospective uses of lavender essential oils in the field of dentistry and to identify the lacunae using which research regarding this topic can be taken one step closer to clinical practice.How to cite this articleKajjari S, Joshi RS, Hugar SM, et al. The Effects of Lavender Essential Oil and its Clinical Implications in Dentistry: A Review. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(3):385-388.

The elimination effects of lavender essential oil on Listeria monocytogenes biofilms developed at different temperatures and the induction of VBNC state.

Listeria monocytogenes is a typical foodborne pathogen that causes hard-to-treat bacterial infections, mainly due to its ability to form biofilm and enter into a viable but non-culturable state (VBNC). In this study, we investigated the removal effects of four antimicrobial agents on L. monocytogenes biofilms formed at 32°C and 10°C, analysed the resistances of the mature biofilms to antimicrobial agents, and explored the VBNC state of cells in mature biofilms induced by lavender essential oil (LEO). The results showed that the growth of L. monocytogenes was completely inhibited when 1·6% (v/v) of the LEO was added. Meanwhile, the results of the crystal violet staining and XTT reduction method indicated that different concentrations of LEO significantly reduced L. monocytogenes biofilms biomass and metabolic activities, followed by sodium hypochlorite, lactic acid, and hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, the confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) images confirmed that the treated biofilms became thinner, the structure was sparse, and the appearance was blurry. More interestingly, L. monocytogenes biofilms developed at 10°C were less susceptible to the sanitizers than those formed at 32°C. In addition, LEO presented a more significant dispersing effect on the biofilm cells, and 1/2 MIC to 4 MIC of LEO could induce fewer VBNC state cells in biofilm and plankton compared with sodium hypochlorite. This study indicated that the LEO could be considered as an ideal antibiofilm agent for controlling L. monocytogenes. But we should pay attention to the resistance of the biofilms developed at low temperatures.

The Effect of Lavender Essential Oil On Post-Caesarean Section at Sekayu District General Hospital in 2020

&#x0D; Caesarean section labor causes discomfort in the area of the surgery scar. One of the condition that cause patient discomfort is pain. Pain management can be done with a combination of pharmacology and nonpharmacology farmakologi. One of the non-pharmacological therapy that are good in reducing post cesarean section pain is to use lavender essential oil. This study was conducted to determine the effect of lavender essential oil on post caesarean section pain in The Sekayu District General Hospital in 2020. This study used Pre-exeperimental designwih one group pretest postest approach, the sampling technique used purposive sampling, with a sample of 30 respondents. Before being given Lavender Essential Oil, here were 29 respondents (96,7%) who experienced moderate pain dan 1 respondent who experienced mild pain (3,3%) then after being given Lavender Essential Oil there was a reduction in the level of pain with 29 respondents at mild pain levels (96,7%) and 1 respondent at moderate pain levels (3,3%). Mc Nemar test result showed ρ value = 0,000 (ρ value &lt; (0,05)), wich means that there is an effect of Lavender Essential Oil on post caesarean section at Sekayu District General Hospital in 2020. To overcome post caesareansection midwives are expected to provide easy and safe mehods, one of them by using Lavender Essential Oil

The Effect of Lavender Essential Oil On Post-Caesarean Section at Sekayu District General Hospital in 2020

&#x0D; Caesarean section labor causes discomfort in the area of the surgery scar. One of the condition that cause patient discomfort is pain. Pain management can be done with a combination of pharmacology and nonpharmacology farmakologi. One of the non-pharmacological therapy that are good in reducing post cesarean section pain is to use lavender essential oil. This study was conducted to determine the effect of lavender essential oil on post caesarean section pain in The Sekayu District General Hospital in 2020. This study used Pre-exeperimental designwih one group pretest postest approach, the sampling technique used purposive sampling, with a sample of 30 respondents. Before being given Lavender Essential Oil, here were 29 respondents (96,7%) who experienced moderate pain dan 1 respondent who experienced mild pain (3,3%) then after being given Lavender Essential Oil there was a reduction in the level of pain with 29 respondents at mild pain levels (96,7%) and 1 respondent at moderate pain levels (3,3%). Mc Nemar test result showed ρ value = 0,000 (ρ value &lt; (0,05)), wich means that there is an effect of Lavender Essential Oil on post caesarean section at Sekayu District General Hospital in 2020. To overcome post caesareansection midwives are expected to provide easy and safe mehods, one of them by using Lavender Essential Oil

LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL FOR SPINAL PAIN IN OBESE WOMEN: A CLINICAL TRIAL

ABSTRACT Objective To analyze the effect of lavender essential oil associated with massage on spinal pain levels in obese women. Methods The sample included 49 obese women, between 20 and 60 years of age, randomly assigned to three groups: control (n=15), intervention (n=19) and placebo (n=15). The intervention and placebo groups were submitted to eight 35-minute sessions, twice a week for one month, but the essential oil of Lavandula angustifolia was used only in the intervention group. A placebo was used for the placebo group and the control group received no intervention. Pain levels were measured before and after the intervention using the Visual Analog Scale. Results There was a significant decrease in total spinal pain (p=0.004), in the cervical region (p=0.003) and in the lumbar region (p=0.008) in the intervention group. Conclusion Lavender essential oil had a positive impact on the reduction of pain in the spine of obese women, as well as in the specific areas of the cervical and lumbar regions compared to the control and placebo groups. Level of evidence I; Randomized clinical trial.

The Use of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) Essential Oil as an Additive to Drinking Water for Broiler Chickens and Its In Vitro Reaction with Enrofloxacin.

Simple SummaryEssential oils can stimulate the growth and functioning of the body, which translates into both chickens’ health and enhanced production parameters. Given the increasing restrictions imposed on poultry production in terms of food safety, it seems appropriate to look for the use of new, natural substances to be applied in poultry production. The article presents the results of the study of lavender essential oil in this context, with a particular focus on its antimicrobial and immunostimulatory properties. The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of lavender essential oil (added to drinking water at concentrations of 0.4 mL/L) on the production parameters and selected blood parameters in broiler chickens and to assess the lavender oil in vitro reaction combined with a commercial antibiotic, enrofloxacin, against Escherichia coli. The results of the experiment showed that the lavender essential oil exerts antimicrobial and antioxidant activity and it also showed a positive effect on the production results of broiler chickens.Biological activity of lavender essential oil is a property that can potentially find an application in poultry nutrition. Nowadays, the use of bioactive compounds is encouraged in many areas of industry and agriculture, since these substances have similar properties as withdrawn antibiotic growth promoters. Additionally, antibiotic resistance bacteria are one of the most important current threats to animal health. The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of lavender essential oil on the production parameters and blood parameters in broiler chickens and to assess the lavender oil’s in vitro reaction in a combination with enrofloxacin towards Escherichia coli. One-day-old non-sexed chicks (Ross 308) were divided into three experimental groups, each consisting of 100 individuals (five replicate of 20 boiler chicken each). The chickens in the control group received drinking water with no addition of lavender essential oil. In the experimental groups, lavender oil was added to the drinking water at a concentration of 0.4 mL/L, in the LEO1–42 from 1 to 42 days of age and the LEO22–42 group from the 22 to 42 days of age. The chickens’ body weight, feed consumption, water consumption, deaths and elimination due to health reasons were determined in the experiment. On day 42 of the chickens’ lives, blood samples were collected based on which selected parameters were identified. An in vitro experiment of lavender oil in combination with enrofloxacin was investigated with a checkerboard method. The results of the experiment showed the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of lavender essential oil and its positive effect on the production results of broiler chickens. The study results proved that the addition of lavender oil positively impacted the chickens’ final body weight and feed conversion ratio (p < 0.01). No differences were observed between the groups for water consumption, death rate and the examined biochemical and immunological blood serum indices. Lavender essential oil was demonstrated to increase the blood serum’s total antioxidant status. A synergistic reaction in vitro was observed for lavender oil combined with enrofloxacin against resistant strains of Escherichia coli. Based on our study, a health-promoting effect of adding LEO to water for broiler chickens was found. Moreover, in vitro studies indicate a significant effect of lavender essential oil on the inhibition of the resistant strains of Escherichia coli growth and synergistic reaction with enrofloxacin.

Lavender for Sleep Disorder Management in Menopausal Women with or without Hypertension: A Systematic and Meta-analysis

Introduction: Regarding the prevalence of sexual problems during menopause and the interest of women in the use of aromatherapy in attenuating the sleep disorders, and due to the lack of comprehensive meta-analysis on the effects of aromatherapy on the sleep disorders, the present study was conducted to determine the effect of lavender on the sleep disorders in postmenopausal women.Material and Methods: The following databases were selected to search systematically the effect of lavender on the quality of sleep in post-menopausal women, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, ISI Web of Science and Scopus, regardless time limit since inception to September 29, 2019. The quality of trials was investigated according to Jadad scale.Results: After combination of the result of four trials, our meta-analysis showed that treatment with lavender was more effective than placebo in respect with improvement of quality of sleep in menopausal women (Standardized Mean Difference=1.098; Confidence Interval 95%: 0.33-1.86; P= 0.005).Conclusion: Considering the effects of lavender essential oil on improving the quality of sleep in postmenopausal and middle-aged women, this medication can be prescribed in the clinics of sleep problems, obstetrics and gynecology.

Pharmacological, medicinal and toxicological properties of lavender essential oil: A review

The natural products extracted from plants are part of traditional medicine and are also therapeutic possibilities for treating many diseases. Recently, its use in the development of new drugs has shown much visibility for its efficiency and few adverse effects. Essential oils extracted from medicinal plants are indicated to treat numerous diseases due to their antimicrobial, antiviral, antimutagenic, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antiprotozoal properties. Among essential oils, lavender essential oil stands out for having several important pharmacological properties. This review detailed the main studies on essential oils from different species of lavender and obtained a valuable collection on all their pharmacological, medicinal and toxicological potential. In this context, we evaluated lavender essential oil as a promising substance that can help treat several diseases. We provide some evidence and an overview of the potential therapeutic effect of lavender essential oil to guide new research.

The Mechanism of Lavender Essential Oil in the Treatment of Acute Colitis Based on "Quantity-Effect" Weight Coefficient Network Pharmacology.

This study aimed to introduce a new weight coefficient combined with network pharmacology to predict the potential active components, action targets, and signal pathways of lavender essential oil and to investigate the therapeutic effect of lavender essential oil on colitis through animal experiments. The component targets of lavender essential oil were mined from the Pubchem and SwissTargetPrediction databases, and the relative content of lavender essential oil was compared with OB (oral bioavailability) to establish a “quantity–effect” weight coefficient. Online databases such as GeneCards and String were used to construct a “lavender essential oil compound target disease target” network to extract the key targets of core compounds acting on diseases. The clusterProfiler package in R language programming of Rstudio software was used to analyze the enrichment of the related targets by Gene Ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and the enriched pathways were reordered according to the “quantity–effect” weight coefficient of the targets they participated in. Following up on the findings, the pharmacodynamic test showed that, after injecting lavender essential oil into mice, the levels of inflammatory cytokines including EGFR, TNF-α, and IFN-γ in serum and colon tissue decreased, and lavender essential oil could mediate Th17 cell differentiation by reducing dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) colonic mucosal damage. The results indicated that lavender essential oil can alleviate DSS-induced colonic mucosal injury in ulcerative Colitis mice. Based on the network pharmacology of the “quantity–effect” weight coefficient, this study indicated that lavender essential oil can regulate the level of inflammatory factors, inhibit inflammatory reactions through a multicomponent and multitarget strategy, and ultimately alleviate the colonic mucosal injury of UC mice. Through the weight coefficient network pharmacology mining, it was concluded that the Th17 cell differentiation, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation of lavender essential oil in the treatment of UC may be the key pathway for the treatment of the disease. Through the establishment of a weight coefficient combined with network pharmacology and the combination of dose and effect, it shows that network pharmacology may provide a better basis for the treatment of disease mechanism.

The Effects of Lavender Essential Oil on Wound Healing: A Review of the Current Evidence.

Background: The commercialization of essential oils has expanded their presence in the United States, and emerging studies demonstrate that they may have a place in Western medicine. One oil with a significant body of evidence is lavender essential oil, which may have benefits in wound healing. Objectives: This review aims to present the scientific literature on therapeutic lavender essential oil with the goal of expanding the current repertoire of cost-effective wound healing options available to physicians and patients. Methods: A review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase from June 2018 through March 2019 to identify articles related to lavender essential oil in the context of wound healing. Results: This search yielded 36 unique studies, 20 of which remained after screening. This review utilizes human clinical trials (n = 7), animal trials (n = 5), in vitro studies (n = 2), and previously conducted reviews (n = 6). Overall, these studies demonstrated a faster rate of wound healing, increased expression of collagen, and enhanced activity of proteins involved in the tissue remodeling process in wounds treated with lavender essential oil. Conclusions: The current body of literature suggests a potential therapeutic benefit of lavender essential oil in wound healing. However, standardization of the chemical composition and additional high-quality human clinical trials are needed to further evaluate the safety and efficacy of lavender essential oil in clinical practice.

0498 Effect of Lavender Essential Oil on Sleep in Postmenopausal Women with Insomnia: Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract Introduction Sleep is essential for women’s health and its deprivation leads to serious physiological consequences. In addition, insomnia is a common complaint in postmenopausal women. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of Lavandula angustifolia essential oil inhalation on sleep and menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women with insomnia. Methods Experimental, double-blind, randomized controlled trial composed by 33 women (48 - 65 years) with clinical diagnosis of insomnia divided in two groups that inhaled different oils before sleep during 29 days: Placebo Group - PG (sunflower oil) and Aroma Group - AG (Lavandula angustifolia essential oil). Both groups received sleep hygiene guidelines and were followed weekly. To assess the effect of the intervention on menopausal symptoms the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were used and for sleep evaluation the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used. Additionally, polysomnography were used to assess sleep pattern. All outcomes were evaluated before and after intervention. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 22 through Generalized Estimed Equations test with significance set at p≤ 0.05. Results Comparing the pre and post-intervention periods, AG participants had a significant decrease in sleep onset latency, depression level, hot flashes, menopausal symptoms and a significant increase in sleep quality. Polysomnography data showed increased sleep efficiency and decreased wakefulness after sleep onset on AG participants. After the intervention, all volunteers presented improvement in all outcomes of sleep and menopausal symptoms measured by questionnaires. Conclusion The intervention was effective in improving the sleep pattern of AG participants, but was not significant when compared to PG participants. In addition, sleep hygiene instructions were essential to improve the sleep pattern of all volunteers. Therefore, inhalation of lavender essential oil is a safe, low-cost practice that should be considered as a complementary option to conventional treatments, whether medical, psychological or other integrative and complementary practices. Support This research was supported by fellowships from Associação Fundo de Incentivo à Pesquisa (AFIP), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) - Finance Code 001 and Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa (CNPq).

Effect of Lavender on Episiotomy Wound Healing and Pain Relief: A Systematic Review

Background: Perineal pain is the most common post-episiotomy complication, and delay in episiotomy wound healing can lead to infection. Linalool and linalyl acetate are the most effective compounds of lavender. The present systematic review was performed on the effect of lavender on episiotomy wound healing and pain relief. Aim: Systematic review of clinical trials to determine the effect of lavender on episiotomy wound healing and pain relief Method: In the present study, the research question was determined based on PICO, and search process to screen the related articles was conducted on electronic databases of SID, Iran Medex, Pubmed, EMBASE, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar using English keywords and Persian equivalents of Episiotomy, healing, Pain, Lavender, and Complementary Medicine from inception until March 2020. Inclusion criteria entailed randomized human clinical trials published in Persian and English on the effect of lavender on episiotomy wound healing and pain relief with a Jadad score of 3≥. Irrelevant, duplicate, descriptive, or qualitative studies were excluded. Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was used for the quality assessment of included articles. Results: Out of 143 articles found in the primary search, five clinical trials were systematically reviewed. All five studies examined the effect of lavender essential oil on episiotomy pain relief, while the effect of lavender essential oil on episiotomy wound healing was measured only in three studies. Implications for Practice: Lavender essential oil (sitz bath twice daily) can be suggested as the treatment of choice in episiotomy wound healing and pain relief. Further studies are suggested to obtain stronger scientific evidence on the effective dose, complications, and the feasibility of meta-analysis.