oils, and of linalool and limonene. Cell viability and effects on ADCY1 and ERK expression were analyzed by MTT and. Western blot, respectively. Variation in.
ESSENTIAL OILS: EFFECTS ON CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM LUCIA CAPUTO1, LUCÉIA FATIMA SOUZA1,2, LUIGI ALIBERTI1, SUSANNA ALLOISIO3, LAURA CORNARA4, LAURA DE MARTINO1, VINCENZO DE FEO1 1DIFARMA, University 3ETT
of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy; 2Post-doctoral by National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq/Brazil); Spa, via Sestri 37, Genova, Italy; 4DISTAV, University of Genova, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genova, Italy
Essential oils are used in aromatherapy due their effects and properties of their constituents in the treatment and prevention of certain diseases related to the Central Nervous System (1,2). The aims of this study are to determinate the chemical composition of Lavandula angustifolia Mill., Coriandrum sativum L., Citrus medica L. cv. liscia and C. medica L. cv. rugosa essential oils; to evaluate their cytotoxic effects in SH-SY5Y cells; to investigate whether an alteration of adenylate cyclase 1 (ADCY1) and of extracellular signalregulated kinase (ERK) expression can take part in the molecular mechanisms of the essential oils, and to study their possible effects in cellular electrophysiology. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation, and studied by GC and GC–MS. SH-SY5Y cells were incubated with different concentrations of essential oils, and of linalool and limonene. Cell viability and effects on ADCY1 and ERK expression were analyzed by MTT and Western blot, respectively. Variation in cellular electrophysiology was studied in primary cultures of rat cortical neurons with a Multi Electrode Array (MEAs)based approach (fig.1).
Figure 1. Experimental plan.
In the oil from L. angustifolia and C. sativum, linalool (33.1 % and 67.8 %, respectively) was the main component, whereas in C. medica cv ‘liscia’ and C. medica cv ‘rugosa’ the main constituent was limonene (67.2%–62.8%). Our results show that linalool inhibited ADCY1 and ERK expression and high concentration of limonene appears to increase ADCY1 expression in SH-SY5Y cell (fig. 2).
Figure 2. Relative expression levels of the ADCY1 and ERK protein in SHSY5Y treated with linalool (A), L. angustifolia essential oil (B), C. sativum essential oil (C), limonene (D), C. medica cv. liscia essential oil (E), C. medica cv. rugosa essential oil (C).
Neuronal networks subjected to L. angustifolia and C. sativum essential oils showed a concentrationdependent inhibition of spontaneous electrical activity (mean firing rate, MFR) (fig. 3).
Figure 3. Effects of linalool (A), L. angustifolia (B) and C. sativum (C) essential oils on MFR of cortical cultures grown on microelectrode arrays.
1. Dobetsberger, C.; Buchbauer, G. Actions of essential oils on the Central Nervous System: An updated review. Flavour Frag. J. 2011, 26, 300-316 2. Babar, A.; Al-Wabel, N.A.; Shams, S.; Ahamad, A.; Khan, S.A.; Anwar, F. Essential oils used in aromatherapy: a systemic review. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2015, 5, 601-611
