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Updated: Aug 29, 2026
Quantitative In vitro Assay to Measure Neutrophil Adhesion to Activated Primary Human Microvascular Endothelial Cells under Static Conditions
Published on: August 23, 2013
Suppression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced neutrophil adherence responses by essential oils
Shigeru Abe1, Naho Maruyama, Kazumi Hayama
1Teikyo University Institute of Medical Mycology, 350 Otsuka, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0395, Japan.
Background:
In aromatherapy, essential oils are used as anti-inflammatory remedies, but experimental studies on their action mechanisms are very limited.
Aims:
To assess their anti-inflammatory activities, effects of essential oils on neutrophil activation were examined in vitro.
Methods:
Neutrophil activation was measured by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced adherence reaction of human peripheral neutrophils.
Results:
All essential oils tested at 0.1% concentration suppressed TNF-alpha-induced neutrophil adherence,and, in particular, lemongrass, geranium and spearmint oils clearly lowered the reaction even at 0.0125%. Similar inhibitory activities for the neutrophil adherence were obtained by their major constituent terpenoids: citral, geraniol, citronellol and carvone. In contrast, very popular essential oils, tea tree oil and lavender oil, did not display the inhibitory activity at the concentration.
Conclusion:
Thus, some essential oils used as antiinflammatory remedies suppress neutrophil activation by TNF-alpha at a low concentration (0.0125-0.025 %) in vitro.
