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Updated: Feb 25, 2026

An Olfactory Preference Test for Measuring Olfactory Hedonic Biases in Mouse Models of Depression
Published on: July 11, 2025
Essential Oils and Their Constituents: An Alternative Source for Novel Antidepressants
Damião P de Sousa1, Rayanne H N Silva2, Epifanio F da Silva3
1Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB 58051-970, Brazil. damiao_desousa@yahoo.com.br.
Abstract:
Depression is a disease that has affected a high proportion of the world's population and people of different ages, incapacitating them from good performance at work and in social relationships, and causing emotional disorders to millions of families. Therefore, the search for new therapeutic agents is considered a priority for the discovery of more effective forms of treatment. In this review, studies of essential oils and their constituents in experimental models related to depression are discussed. The mechanisms of action of the oils and the presence of psychoactive constituents in their chemical compositions are discussed. The data in the review show the therapeutic potential of essential oils and their chemical constituents for use in depressive disorders. Advanced studies using humans are needed to confirm the antidepressant properties described in animals.
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