Skip to main content
Journal of Wood Science

Official Journal of the Japan Wood Research Society

Download PDF

Neuropharmacological activities of phytoncide released from Cryptomeria japonica

Journal of Wood Science volume 55, pages 27–31 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Forest-air bathing and walking (shinrin-yoku) is beneficial to human heath. In this study the phytoncide (volatile compounds) released from Cryptomeria japonica plantation forest was characterized by using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The main volatile compounds were α-pinene (19.35%), β-myrcene (16.98%), d-limonene (15.21%), and γ-muurolene (7.42%). Furthermore, the neuropharmacological activity of the essential oils from leaves of C. japonica (ECJ) was evaluated by several animal behavior tests. ECJ could prolong the sleeping phase of ICR (imprinting control region) mice in the pentobarbital-induced sleeping time model. Furthermore, both EJC and one of its monoterpenes, d-limonene, possessed potent anxiolytic and analgesic activities based on the results obtained from elevated plus maze and writhing tests. The volatile compounds released from C. japonica provide relaxing and stress-relieving effects on mice, and further study on the effect of phytoncide on humans is worthwhile.

References

  1. Wang SY, Chen PF, Chang ST (2005) Antifungal activities of essential oils from indigenous cinnamon (Cinnamomum osmophleum) leaves. Bioresource Technol 96:813–818

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Wang SY, Wu CL, Chu FH, Chien SC, Kuo YH, Shyur LF, Chang ST (2005) Chemical composition and antifungal activity of essential oil from Chamaecyparis formosensis wood. Holzforschung 59:295–299

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kuo PM, Chu FH, Chang ST, Hsiao WF, Wang SY (2007) Insecticidal activity of essential oil from Chamaecyparis formosensis. Holzforschung 61:595–599

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Hsieh YH, Kuo PM, Chien SC, Shyur LF, Wang SY (2007) Effects of Chamaecyparis formosensis Matasumura extractives on lipopolysaccharide-induced release of nitric oxide. Phytomedicine 14:675–680

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. World Health Organization (WHO) (2001) The world health report. Mental health: new understanding new hope. WHO, Geneva, p 4

    Google Scholar 

  6. Morita E, Fukuda S, Nagano J, Hamajima N, Yamamoto H, Iwai Y, Nakashima T, Ohira H, Shirakawa T (2007) Psychological effects of forestry environments on healthy adults: Shinrin-yoku (forest-air bathing, walking) as a possible method of stress reduction. Public Health 121:54–63

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Ohtsuka Y, Yabunaka N, Takayama S (1998) Shinrin-yoku (forest-air bathing and walking) effectively decrease blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. Int J Biometeorol 41:125–127

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Ohira H, Takagi S, Masui K, Oishi M, Obata A (1999) Effects on shinrin-yoku (forest-air bathing and walking) on mental and physical health. Bull Tokai Women Univ 19:217–232

    Google Scholar 

  9. Wang SY, Lai WC, Chu FH, Lin CT, Shen SY, Chang ST (2006) Essential oil from the leaves of Cryptomeria japonica acts as a silverfish (Lepisma saccharina) repellent and insecticide. J Wood Sci 52:522–526

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Cheng SS, Chang HT, Wu CL, Chang ST (2007) Anti-termitic activities of essential oils from coniferous trees against Coptotermes formosanus. Bioresource Technol 98:456–459

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Cheng SS, Chang HT, Chang ST, Tsai KH, Chen WJ (2003) Bioactivity of selected plant essential oils against the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti larvae. Bioresource Technol 89:99–102

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Cheng SS, Lin HY, Chang ST (2005) Chemical composition and antifungal activity of essential oil from different tissues of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica). J Agric Food Chem 53:614–619

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Wang SY, Wang YS, Tseng YH, Lin CT, Liu CP (2006) Analysis of fragrance compositions of precious coniferous woods grown in Taiwan. Holzforschung 60:528–532

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Herrera-Ruiz M, Gutiérrez C, Jiménez-Ferrer JE, Tortoriello J, Mirónc G, Leónc I (2007) Central nervous system depressant activity of an ethyl acetate extract from Ipomoea stans roots. J Ethnopharmacol 102:243–247

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Miranda HF, Puig M, Prieto JC, Pinardi G (2006) Synergism between paracetamol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in experimental acute pain. Pain 121:22–28

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Bradley BF, Starkey NJ, Brown SL, Lea RW (2007) The effects of prolonged rose odor inhalation in two animal models of anxiety. Physiol Behav 92:931–938

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Vale TG, Matos FJA, de Lima TCM, Viana GSB (1999) Behavioral effects of essential oils from Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E. Brown chemotypes. J Ethnopharmacol 167:127–133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Freire CM, Marques MOM, Costa M (2006) Effects of seasonal variation on the central nervous system activity of Ocimum gratissimum L. essential oil. J Ethnopharmacol 105:161–166

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Koudou J, Abena AA, Ngaissona P, Bessière JM (2005) Chemical composition and pharmacological activity of essential oil of Canarium schweinfurthii. Fitoterapia 76:700–703

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Silva J, Abebe W, Sousa SM, Duarte VG, Machado MIL, Matos FJA (2003) Analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of essential oils of Eucalyptus. J Ethnopharmacol 89:277–283

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. De Sousa DP, Gonçalves JCR, Quintans-Júnior L, Cruz JSD, Araújo AM, Almeida RN (2006) Study of anticonvulsant effect of citronellol, a monoterpene alcohol, in rodents. Neurosci Lett 401:231–235

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Silva MIG, Neto MRA, Neto PFT, Moura BA, Amaral JF, Sousa DP, Vasconcelos SMM, Sousa FCF (2007) Central nervous system activity of acute administration of isopulegol in mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 88:141–147

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Vale TG, Furtado EC, Santos Jr JGS, Viana GSB (2002) Central effects of citral, myrcene and limonene, constituents of essential oil chemotypes from Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E. Brown. Phytomedicine 9:709–714

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forestry/Core Lab of Plant Metabolomics in Biotechnology Development Center, National Chung-Hsing University, No. 250 Kuo-Kuang Road, Taichung, 402, Taiwan

    Wei-Wen Cheng, Chien-Tsong Lin & Sheng-Yang Wang

  2. School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan

    Fang-Hua Chu & Shang-Tzen Chang

Authors
  1. Wei-Wen Cheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chien-Tsong Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Fang-Hua Chu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Shang-Tzen Chang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Sheng-Yang Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sheng-Yang Wang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cheng, WW., Lin, CT., Chu, FH. et al. Neuropharmacological activities of phytoncide released from Cryptomeria japonica . J Wood Sci 55, 27–31 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10086-008-0984-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10086-008-0984-2

Key words

  • Cryptomeria japonica
  • Essential oil
  • Neuropharmacological activities
  • Phytoncide
  • SPME