ArticleBMC complementary and alternative medicine2013
Citrus aurantium L. essential oil exhibits anxiolytic-like activity mediated by 5-HT(1A)-receptors and reduces cholesterol after repeated oral treatment.
Article in BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 37 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
37 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 110 citations in OpenAlex.
- Essential oils for treating anxiety: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials and network meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2023Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The Effectiveness of Aromatherapy in the Management of Labor Pain and Anxiety: A Systematic Review.Ethiopian journal of health sciences · 2020Pooled it
- A Systematic Review of the Anxiolytic-Like Effects of Essential Oils in Animal Models.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2015Pooled it
- Integrated Chemical, In Silico, and Functional Neurobehavioral Evaluation of Three Essential Oils in Acute Anxiety- and Depression-Related Mouse Models.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Integrative sleep management: from molecular pathways to conventional and herbal treatments.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2025Review
- Toxicological qualities and detoxification trends of fruit by-products for valorization: A review.Open life sciences · 2025Review
- A Comprehensive Review of Essential Oils and Their Pharmacological Activities in Neurological Disorders: Exploring Neuroprotective Potential.Neurochemical research · 2024Review
- Edible Herbal Medicines as an Alternative to Common Medication for Sleep Disorders: A Review Article.Current neuropharmacology · 2024Review
- Aromas Influencing the GABAergic System.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
- Effect of Dietary Rosemary and Ginger Essential Oils on the Growth Performance, Feed Utilization, Meat Nutritive Value, Blood Biochemicals, and Redox Status of Growing NZW Rabbits.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2022Article
- Exploring Pharmacological Mechanisms of Essential Oils on the Central Nervous System.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- Phytochemical Profile, α-Glucosidase, and α-Amylase Inhibition Potential and Toxicity Evaluation of Extracts fromBiomolecules · 2021Article
- Neuroprotective Potential of Limonene and Limonene Containing Natural Products.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- Activity of Selected Group of Monoterpenes in Alzheimer's Disease Symptoms in Experimental Model Studies-A Non-Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2021Review
- Article
- Essential Oils: Pharmaceutical Applications and Encapsulation Strategies into Lipid-Based Delivery Systems.Pharmaceutics · 2021Review
- Pharmacology of Herbal Sexual Enhancers: A Review of Psychiatric and Neurological Adverse Effects.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020Review
- Biological Properties of a Citral-Enriched Fraction ofFoods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020Article
- Role of 5-HT1A Receptor in the Anxiolytic-Relaxant Effects of Bergamot Essential Oil in Rodent.International journal of molecular sciences · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe current treatments for anxiety disorders and depression have multiple adverse effects in addition to a delayed onset of action, which has prompted efforts to find new substances with potential activity in these disorders. Citrus aurantium was chosen based on ethnopharmacological data because traditional medicine refers to the Citrus genus as useful in diminishing the symptoms of anxiety or insomnia, and C. aurantium has more recently been proposed as an adjuvant for antidepressants. In the present work, we investigated the biological activity underlying the anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of C. aurantium essential oil (EO), the putative mechanism of the anxiolytic-like effect, and the neurochemical changes in specific brain structures of mice after acute treatment. We also monitored the mice for possible signs of toxicity after a 14-day treatment.
methodsThe anxiolytic-like activity of the EO was investigated in a light/dark box, and the antidepressant activity was investigated in a forced swim test. Flumazenil, a competitive antagonist of benzodiazepine binding, and the selective 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonist WAY100635 were used in the experimental procedures to determine the mechanism of action of the EO. To exclude false positive results due to motor impairment, the mice were submitted to the rotarod test.
resultsThe data suggest that the anxiolytic-like activity observed in the light/dark box procedure after acute (5 mg/kg) or 14-day repeated (1 mg/kg/day) dosing was mediated by the serotonergic system (5-HT(1A) receptors). Acute treatment with the EO showed no activity in the forced swim test, which is sensitive to antidepressants. A neurochemical evaluation showed no alterations in neurotransmitter levels in the cortex, the striatum, the pons, and the hypothalamus. Furthermore, no locomotor impairment or signs of toxicity or biochemical changes, except a reduction in cholesterol levels, were observed after treatment with the EO.
conclusionThis work contributes to a better understanding of the biological activity of C. aurantium EO by characterizing the mechanism of action underlying its anxiolytic-like activity.
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Registered trials
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