Figure - available from: Frontiers in Psychology
This content is subject to copyright.
Effect of regional culture on sensory evaluation of odor. Mean ratings (n = 25) at three concentrations on pleasantness, familiarity, subjective intensity, emotional arousal, and emotional perception at low (L), mid-range (M), and high (H) concentration of the participants from the northern Yangtze and the southern Yangtze. N: participants from the northern Yangtze, S: participants from the southern Yangtze. The asterisk indicates that the odor evaluation results of the two groups show significant differences. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01. Data were analyzed by main effects analysis with two-way mixed ANOVAs, a post hoc Bonferroni test was used.
Source publication
Olfactory perception, and especially affective responses of odors, is highly flexible, but some mechanisms involved in this flexibility remain to be elucidated. This study investigated the odor perceptions of several essential oils used in aromatherapy with emotion regulation functions among college students. The influences of people’s characterist...
Citations
... During the inclusion phase, from the 20 odorants presented in a hedonic olfactory test, 10 are considered as potentially diffusible during the treatment for two reasons: (1) they are known to be pleasant, (2) we have tested them so that they diffuse well and retain their pleasant odorant properties. Of these 10, 5 are single molecules known to be pleasant (Chalençon et al., 2022;Sezille et al., 2014) and 5 are blended odorants that are appreciated as much as single molecule odorants (Chen et al., 2022). The 3 highest rated odorants will be selected, and one will be randomly chosen and diffused at 20 Pa during each iTBS session using a heat diffusion system. ...
Background
Anhedonia, including social, physical, and less-known, olfactory, stands as a core symptom of major depressive disorder (MDD). At the neurobiological level, anhedonia has been associated with abnormal activity within the reward system, suggesting a key role for dopamine. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) has emerged as an innovative treatment for alleviating depressive symptoms. Stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been shown to both improve anhedonia and induce dopamine release. Moreover, research suggests that the efficacy of rTMS is improved when applied to an activated brain network rather than at rest. Our goal is to induce a dual activation of the reward system using a combined rTMS protocol and an intervention based on pleasant odorant exposure known to stimulate this system.
Methods
In this randomized controlled trial, we propose to combine rTMS targeting the left DLPFC with pleasant odorant stimulation to alleviate depressive symptoms. A total of 80 patients with treatment-resistant MDD will be randomly assigned to two groups and will receive 50 sessions of either: 1- rTMS and hedonic olfactory stimulations, or 2- rTMS alone. We will conduct pre- and post-assessments measuring depression severity, physical, social, and olfactory anhedonia, as well as the connectivity and activity of brain regions involved in the pathophysiology of depression and the reward circuitry.
Discussion
This study may strengthen the development of more effective rTMS interventions and pave the way for the establishment of rTMS combined with olfactory training as a safe, effective, and easily accessible treatment for MDD patients. In addition, this study will contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms and physiopathology of MDD.
Trial registration number
#NCT05661383.
... Table 1 summarizes the results of the determination of the same parameters (color, odor, density, and yield) of the Aut-EO and Spr-EO samples. Both EOs were found to be yellow in color with a strong aromatic-fresh smell, which can be classified as a terpene-type odor [57]. In addition, both EOs are liquids with density values (around 0.9 g·mL −1 ) lower than that of water. ...
The Azorean Cryptomeria japonica forest operations and wood industry generate considerable foliage biomass residues that are used for local essential oil (EO) production. However, research on seasonal variation of C. japonica EO remains scarce. In this study, the EOs from fresh Azorean C. japonica foliage (Az–CJF) collected in autumn (Aut) and spring (Spr) were obtained via hydrodistillation and investigated for their physical properties, yield, chemical composition, and bioactivities. Both EOs presented a strong odor, a yellowish color, a density around 0.9 g·mL−1, and similar yields (approximately 1% v/w, dry matter). Nevertheless, the GC–MS analyses showed a decrease in monoterpene hydrocarbons (MH) and an increase in oxygenated sesquiterpenes (OS) contents in Spr–EO compared with Aut–EO (16% vs. 35% for MH and 45% vs. 31% for OS, respectively). In addition, the predominant components were kaur-16-ene (23%) for Spr–EO and phyllocladene (19%) for Aut–EO, revealing that both EOs were rich in diterpene hydrocarbons (29% vs. 26%). Concerning its toxicity against brine shrimp, a low mortality (0–38%) was observed at a concentration range of 100–180 μg·mL−1. Regarding the anti-cholinesterase properties, both EOs were inactive against acetylcholinesterase but showed anti-butyrylcholinesterase activity superior to (–)-α-pinene, a major compound of Az–CJF EO (IC50 values: 84, 148, and 648 μg·mL−1 for Spr–EO, Aut–EO, and α-pinene, respectively). Overall, the results indicate the potential benefit of both seasonal EOs in Alzheimer’s disease treatment. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that season strongly influences the Az–CJF EO quantitative composition and thus its bioactivity, aiding in the selection of the most high-quality raw materials for use in Azorean C. japonica EO aromatherapy industry.
... На сегодняшний день доказано, что некоторые медицинские препараты (и рецептурные, и находящиеся в свободной продаже), такие как цинк, тетрагидроканнабинол, ремифентанил, силденафил, пропофол, дулоксетин, мидодрин, метопролол, местные анестетики и пероральные антибиотики, химиотерапевтические средства, используемые в онкологии, вызывают снижение обоняния (как временное, так и длительное) [4,6,[19][20][21][22]. Механизмы воздействия различных молекул/субстанций с эпителием и слизистой оболочкой полости носа исследуются [23][24][25][26][27][28][29], в том числе изучается обратимость «побочных функциональных (обонятельных)» эффектов [30]. ...
Introduction. Sensory organs help humans exist in the surrounding world, but the evaluation of olfaction remained “in the shadows” practically until the COVID-19 pandemic, although many questions are still insufficiently studied, such as the effect of intranasal medications on olfactory function.
Aim. To assess the olfactory function in healthy volunteers before and after a course of using an ectoine nasal solution.
Materials and methods . Under our observation were healthy volunteers (medical university students and healthcare workers aged 16 to 35 years) who, in addition to routine ENT examinations, underwent an assessment of their olfactory status using a professional set of odorants for olfactometry and subjectively using a self-assessment scale for olfaction before and after a course of ectoine nasal solution, as well as a self-assessment of its preventive effect. The collected data were recorded in Excel spreadsheets (Microsoft Office 365) for further statistical analysis.
Results and discussion . The results showed an average increase of 1 point in the self-assessment of olfaction in the observation group, as well as an increase in the number of “correct” responses when using the set of odorants. However, discrepancies were noted between self-assessment and the objective evaluation of olfaction. The extent of the preventive effect (based on the self-assessment by participants using a 10-point visual analog scale) was rated at 5 points.
Conclusions. 1. A one-month course of barrier therapy (ectoine nasal solution) does not cause any impairment in olfactory function, as evidenced by olfactometric testing (an average increase of 10% in correct responses across the group, with 80% of participants showing improvement) and olfaction self-assessment (an average increase of 1 point across the group, with 55% of participants showing improvement). 2. Self-assessment of olfaction cannot be considered a reliable measure of the actual olfactory function. 3. The use of barrier therapy (ectoine nasal solution) has a moderate preventive effect (5 points).
... The constituent differences lead to the aroma type. Humans have different perceptions of odors, which may influence the potential effects of those functional odors, mainly due to individual differences [92]. ...
This study presents a comprehensive literature review that investigates the distinctions between true and false cinnamon. Given the intricate compositions of essential oils (EOs), various discrimination approaches were explored to ensure quality, safety, and authenticity, thereby establishing consumer confidence. Through the utilization of physical–chemical and instrumental analyses, the purity of EOs was evaluated via qualitative and quantitative assessments, enabling the identification of constituents or compounds within the oils. Consequently, a diverse array of techniques has been documented, encompassing organoleptic, physical, chemical, and instrumental methodologies, such as spectroscopic and chromatographic methods. Electronic noses (e-noses) exhibit significant potential for identifying cinnamon adulteration, presenting a rapid, non-destructive, and cost-effective approach. Leveraging their capability to detect and analyze volatile organic compound (VOC) profiles, e-noses can contribute to ensuring authenticity and quality in the food and fragrance industries. Continued research and development efforts in this domain will assuredly augment the capacities of this promising avenue, which is the utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms in conjunction with spectroscopic data to combat cinnamon adulteration.
A comparative study of volatile compounds in four Achillea spices cultivated ( A. aspleniifolia and A. filipendulina ) and wild‐grown ( A. crithmifolia and A. virescens ) in Serbia was analysed by headspace gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (HS‐GC‐MS). A total of 59 compounds were identified, representing 98.7–100 % of the total volatile compounds. In A. aspleniifolia , the dominant compound was β ‐pinene, while in the other three Achillea species the dominant was 1,8‐cineole in combination with cis ‐thujone in A. crithmifolia , α‐pinene, and p ‐cymene and chrysanthenone in A. virescens . According to the sensory analysis of odour, A. aspleniifolia has the highest herbal intensity (due to β ‐pinene) and significant citrus and spicy notes originate from other minor compounds. In other investigated species, the odor is herbal (due to 1,8‐cineole), but other compounds determine odor; A. filipendulina is notably minty, A. crithmifolia is strong woody and terpenic, with notable thujonic characteristics, while A. virescens has terpenic, camphoraceous and spicy notes.
The behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are experienced by up to 90% of patients with dementia throughout dementia. This study aims to investigate the effect of aromatherapy on agitation in patients with dementia in the community. This prospective cohort study was conducted at a single day-care center for patients with dementia located in northern Taiwan with 2-week and 4-week follow-ups, comparing the severity of agitation between 3 measure points as the primary outcome. The aromatherapy was performed over 5 consecutive days for 4 weeks. Throughout the four-week observation were analyzed by GEE. Significant differences were found in the Chinese version of Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CCMAI) total agitation score (ß=-3.622, p=0.037) and physically non-aggressive behavior subscale (ß=-4.005, p=0.004) between aromatherapy group and control group. The severity of dementia-related agitation, especially the severity of physically non-aggressive behavior in demented patients, could be significantly reduced by a four-week intervention of aromatherapy.