The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of oxides (caryophyllene oxide, eucalyptol and linalool oxide), one of the major ingredients of essential oils, on odor intensity, electroencephalography (EEG) response and emotional response. The subjects were women in their twenties. Inhalation concentrations of oxides were varied from 0.01 to 10%, and EEGs were collected by Quantitative EEG. The odor intensity and average preference index (API) of the oxides were ranked in the order of eucalyptol > linalool oxide > caryophyllene oxide. Eucalyptol is a refreshing and pleasant substance that activates the brain (activation of β and γ waves and spectral edge frequencies (SEF50 and SEF90)). Linalool oxide has a calm and soft substance (activation of θ, inactivation of α, β, and γ waves) at a low concentration (<0.1%), and a fresh smell at high concentration (inactivation β and activation of θ and γ). Caryophyllene oxides were evaluated as a substance that is comfortable, soft, calm and sedating, which deactivates the brain (activation of α, inactivation of β and γ). Oxide materials showed a positive correlation between the odor intensity and the SEFs. Each of the oxides showed unique characteristics in the areas of odor intensity, emotional response, API, and EEG. These results give us a better understanding of the properties of the pure materials that make up a fragrance, and provide useful information for the manufacture of fragrance products or aroma oil blends with enhanced specific functions.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the important causative microbes for nosocomial infe- ction and has been isolated from the dental environment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antimi- crobial activity of linalool and α‐terpineol against MRSA isolates from a Korean population. In the experiments, we determined the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of these two compounds against 18 strains of MRSA. The data re- vealed that the MIC90/MBC90 values of linalool and α‐ terpineol against MRSA were >12.8 mg/ml and 6.4 mg/ml, respectively. These results indicate that α-terpineol has more potent antimicrobial activity against MRSA than lina- lool and may have utility as an anti‐MRSA cleansing agent for dental instruments and dental unit chairs.

This study was performed to investigate the anti-obesity and anti-lipidemic ability of linalool (LL) in ApoE deficient mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Mice were divided into four experimental groups of eight each. Mice in the control group received a basic diet and oral repeated dose of the vehicle only for 12 weeks; mice in the HFD group received a HFD and oral repeated dose of the vehicle only for 12 weeks; and the HFD&LL25 and HFD&LL50 groups received a HFD and oral repeated dose of LL 25 and 50 mg/kg/day for 12 weeks, respectively. Mice in the HFD group showed a significant increase in body weight, spleen weight, and adipose tissue weight, compared with the control group. An increase in the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activities, total cholesterol (T-CHO), triglyceride (TG), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol was also observed in the HFD group. Histopathological examinations showed severe liver injuries, characterized by extensive fatty changes and hepatocyte degeneration/necrosis. On the contrary, oral administration with LL resulted in significantly improved HFD-induced obesity and hyperlipidemia, indicated by a decrease in adipose tissue weight, T-CHO, TG, and histopathological lesions. The results indicate that LL suppressed HFD-induced obesity, hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, and hepatic steatosis, suggesting that LL might be a promising adjuvant therapy for treatment of these metabolic disorders related to corpulence.

본 연구는 30대 중반에서 40대 중반의 전업주부를 대상으로 리날룰성분이 혈액 및 타액 스트레스 호르몬 함량변화에 미치는 효과를 분석하였다. 연구대상자를 대조군, 아몬드오일 마사지 실험군, 리날룰성분 0.5%를 첨가한 아몬드오일 마사지 실험군으로 세분화하여 5주 간 총 10회의 마사지 프로그램을 실시하였고, 실험 전후 대상자의 혈액 및 타액 코티졸, DHEA, IgA의 함량변화를 분석하였다. 연구결과 전업주부의 스트레스 관련 호르몬인 혈액 코티졸은 리날룰을 0.5% 함유한 아몬드오일 마사지 실험군에서 유의하게 감소하였고, DHEA는 대상자 그룹 간에 큰 차이를 나타내지 않았다. 또한 타액 IgA는 변화가 나타났지만 아몬드오일 마사지실험군과 리날룰을 함유한 아몬드오일 마사지 실험군에서 유의한 그룹효과가 나타나지 않아 타액 IgA의 함량증가는 마사지로 인한 효과라는 것을 알 수 있었다. 이러한 연구결과는 리날룰이 스트레스 경감에 일정한 효과가 있으며, 마사지 등의 처치와 동시에 적용될 경우 효과가 커질 수 있다는 것을 말해준다.