Lavender essential oil (LEO), extracted from the flowers and upper parts of the lavender plant, has attracted considerable interest in the field of aromatherapy due to its anxiolytic, antidepressant, and hypnotic properties. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects of LEO remain inadequately elucidated, presenting challenges for its clinical application and promotion. This review aims to systematically analyze existing studies from a biological perspective to clarify the role and potential mechanisms of LEO in the contexts of anxiety, depression, and insomnia. The findings indicate that LEO exhibits anxiolytic effects by enhancing GABA receptor binding, increasing serotonin levels in the synaptic cleft, inhibiting glutamate release and its receptor interactions, and suppressing acetylcholine release at the neuromuscular junction. The antidepressant properties of LEO are attributed to its promotion of neurogenesis in the hippocampus, inhibition of inflammatory responses, and exertion of antioxidant effects. Furthermore, LEO has been demonstrated to possess hypnotic effects by elevating levels of melatonin and serotonin, reducing c-Fos expression in the prefrontal cortex, ventral hippocampus, and amygdala, and modulating GABAergic neurons in the central amygdala. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the biological effects of LEO and provide a substantial theoretical foundation for its clinical application.
Ren et al. (Sun,) studied this question.