Essential Oils in Experimental Models of Neuropsychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND: Neural cells undergo functional or sensory loss due to neurological disorders. In addition to environmental or genetic factors, oxidative stress is a major contributor to neurodegeneration. In this context, there has been a growing interest in investigating the effects of EOs (EOs) in recent years, especially in the treatment of neuropathologies. The chemical and biological effects of EOs have led to important treatment tools for the management of various neurological disorders. OBJECTIVE: In the present study we performed a systematic review that sought to comprehend the neuroprotective effects of different EOs. METHOD: This work is a systematic review where an electronic search was performed on PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library and SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online) databases, covering the last 10 years, using “Essential oil” and “Neuroprotective effect” as reference terms. RESULTS: A total of 9 articles were identified, in which the efficacy of EOs was described in experimental models of anxiety, dementia, oxidative stress, cerebral ischemia, Alzheimer’s disease, and oxidative toxicity. CONCLUSION: EOs from different species of medicinal plants have shown positive responses in neurological disorders such as anxiety, dementia, oxidative stress, cerebral ischemia, and oxidative toxicity. Thus, EOs emerges with the potential to be used as alternative agents in the treatment of neurological disorders.