Geraniol mitigates anxiety-like behaviors in rats by reducing oxidative stress, repairing impaired hippocampal neurotransmission, and normalizing brain cortical-EEG wave patterns after a single electric foot-shock exposure.

Anxiety-like conditions can interfere with daily activities as the adaptive mechanism fails to cope with stress. These conditions are often linked with increased oxidative stress, and abrupt neurotransmission and electroencephalography (EEG) wave pattern. Geraniol, a monoterpenoid, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, as well as brain-calming effects. Therefore, in this study, geraniol was tested for the potential anxiolytic effects in a rat model of anxiety. The rats were exposed to an electric foot shock (1 mA for 1 s) to develop anxiety-like symptoms. Treatment was carried out using geraniol (10 and 30 mg/kg) and the standard diazepam drug. The behavior of the rats was analyzed using the open field test, light-dark test, and social interaction test. Afterward, the rats were decapitated to collect samples for neurochemical and biochemical analyses. The cortical-EEG wave pattern was also obtained. The study revealed that the electric foot shock induced anxiety-like symptoms, increased oxidative stress, and altered hippocampal neurotransmitter levels. The power of low-beta and high-beta was amplified with the increased coupling of delta-beta waves in anxiety group. However, the treatment with geraniol and diazepam normalized cortical-EEG wave pattern and hippocampal serotonin and catecholamines profile which was also reflected by reduced anxious behavior and normalized antioxidant levels. The study reports an anxiolytic potential of geraniol, which can be further explored in future.

Dose-dependent alteration of neurobehavioral activities by geraniol a component of essential oil: A study in rats.

Geraniol, a component of essential oil, is reported to have various pharmacological properties. The current study was conducted to demonstrate the dose-dependent neurobehavioral effects of geraniol. Rats were divided into 5 groups (n=7), comprising of control and four test groups for different doses of geraniol including 10, 30, 50 and 100 mg/kg. Geraniol was given for 15 days through intraperitoneal route. Following the administration, anxiety-, depression-like behaviors and memory function were evaluated. Extent of oxidative stress in rat's brain was also assessed by determining the levels of malondialdehyde and antioxidant enzymes activity. The present study revealed that low doses of geraniol produced more potent anxiolytic, antidepressant, nootropic, and antioxidant effects as compared to the higher doses. The findings highlight the dual characteristic of geraniol, acting as antioxidant at lower doses while at higher doses it produces pro-oxidant effects. The results are discussed in the context of dual characteristic of antioxidant compounds.