essential oil bioactivity

The findings of a study in Iran showed a significant difference between the mean scores of sleep quality in the two groups after an aromatherapy treatment with lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia). Aromatherapy treatments with lavender oil in the experiment group led to decrease of sleep disorders and resulted in improving the quality of sleep in ischemic heart disease (IHD) patients hospitalized in critcal care units (CCU).
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Weeds have a greater impact on crop yields than any other pests. Over the past several decades, farmers have continually turned to synthetic herbicides because they are the most effective deterrent against weeds. However, demand for organic food is rising, and public sentiment toward synthetic herbicides is increasingly negative. There is a need — and a market — for new, natural weed management tools.
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Researchers have identified a new strain of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a drug-resistant bacterial infection that until the last few years was seen primarily among patients in hospitals and nursing homes. The strain, dubbed New MRSA, has been found in the United Kingdom.
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Aromatherapy treatments using melissa essential oil (Melissa officinalis) may help soothe agitation in patients with dementia, without causing any of the common side effects of drugs, according to UK researchers.

Dr. Clive G. Ballard and his colleagues at the Newcastle General Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne, found that applying lotions containing melissa essential oil on patients with dementia appeared to help reduce agitation and increase quality of life more effectively than a placebo lotion. Read more…

Origanum herb (Origanum vulgare subsp. virens Hoffmanns. & Link, Bonnier & Layens) and its essential oil are widely used in the treatment of respiratory and cutaneous infections in traditional medicine. In order to establish a basis for its traditional employment, the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of O. vulgare subsp. virens was evaluated against human fungal pathogens.
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A study at United Hospital, St Paul, Minnesota, USA, has shown that the systematic use of lavandin essential oil (Lavandula x intermedia) can reduce preoperative anxiety in surgical patients.
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As in recent years the usage of the herbal materials has been increased, it seems necessary to study the antibacterial effects of them. The herb basil (Ocimum basilicum), which is easily cultured worldwide, may be a potentially good candidate to be used as a plant with antibacterial activity.
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The essential oil from the bark of Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume (cinnamon) was analyzed by GC-MS and bioassays were carried out. Nine constituents representing 99.24% of the oil were identified by GC-MS. The major compounds in the oil were (E)-cinnamaldehyde (68.95%), benzaldehyde (9.94%) and (E)-cinnamyl acetate (7.44%).
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Researchers at the University of Extremadura in Spain have found that the essential oils sage and rosemary could slow oxidative spoilage of meat better than synthetic antioxidants butylhydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylhydroxytoluene (BHT).
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