The effects of Litsea cubeba essential oil inhalation on brain wave activity

Abstract

Litsea cubeba is a dioecious tree found in Asia, including Thailand. It is known for its therapeutic properties in aromatherapy. This study aims to investigate the effect of L. cubeba essential oil on EEG recordings. Sweet almond oil was used as the essential oil diluent. Twenty-five healthy participants aged 20–35 were recruited. First, the participants inhaled sweet almond oil; then, after a 7-day washout period, they inhaled 10% of the essential oil via face mask (2 L/min). Brainwaves were recorded using Nicolet EEG v32 from Natus Neurology Company (USA). The absolute powers of 4 main frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, and beta waves) were compared during three conditions i.e., resting-state, sweet almond oil inhalation and L. cubeba inhalation. The results indicated that the absolute powers of alpha (8–12.9 Hz) and beta (13–30) activity increased significantly after L. cubeba inhalation. In conclusion, the inhalation of L. cubeba essential oil induced effects on the central nervous system (brainwave activity). L. cubeba essential oil activated both alpha and beta waves, representing calmness and alertness, respectively. This study has demonstrated the effect of L. cubeba essential oil inhalation in complement with well-being and aromatherapeutic applications.