Effects of lavender essential oil inhalation aromatherapy on depression and sleep quality in stroke patients: A single-blind randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Post-stroke depression (PSD) has major implications for rehabilitation, motor recovery, activities of daily living, social and interpersonal functioning, and mortality. In view of the side effects of antidepressants, aromatherapy, a widely used non-pharmacological therapy, has received growing attention in recent years for its benefits of reduced complications, accessibility, and effectiveness. This study was designed to assess the effects of inhalation aromatherapy with lavender essential oil on depression and sleep quality in patients with PSD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty patients with PSD were enrolled and randomized into experimental and placebo groups. Experimental-group patients inhaled microencapsulated lavender essential oil every night at bedtime over a period of 4 weeks. A nonwoven bag containing 2.3 g of microcapsules with about 1.5 g of lavender essential oil was placed on or under the patient's pillow, depending on the patient's scent sensitivity. Placebo-group patients used the empty nonwoven bags for the same period as the experimental group. The 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17), the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used to measure outcomes. RESULTS: The HAMD-17 score, SDS score, and PSQI score showed statistically significant differences between both groups before and after intervention (P ≤ 0.01). The improvement in the experimental group was more marked than in the placebo group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Lavender essential oil inhalation aromatherapy may help reduce depression and improve sleep quality in patients with PSD.

[Synthesis and luminescence properties of a reactive ternary europium complex containing 1,10-phenanthroline].

With dibenzoylmethane (HDBM) as the first ligand and 5-acrylamido-1,10-phenanthroline as the secondary ligand, a new reactive ternary europium complex, Eu(DBM)3Aphen, was prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra and TG-DTG. Its photophysical properties were studied by using UV, luminescence spectra, lifetime and quantum yield measurements. The complex Eu(DBM)3Aphen showed characteristic luminescence of europium ions under UV excitation. Compared with the complex Eu(DBM)2 AA reported in the literature, complex Eu(DBM)3Aphen exhibited much stronger luminescence intensity, higher monochromaticity, longer lifetime and higher efficiency. The results showed that the complex Eu(DBM)3Aphen would be not only a potential red-emitting material but also a reactive complex, which would provide a new way for the synthesis of rare earth polymer with outstanding luminescence properties.

Synthesis and cofluorescence of Eu(Y) complexes with salicylic acid and o-phenanthroline.

A series of dinuclear complexes of salicylic acid (HSal) and o-phenanthroline (Phen) with different molar ratios of Eu3+ to Y3+ have been synthesized. Their compositions are Eu(x)Y(1-x) (Sal)3(Phen) (x = 0 to approximately 1). Their UV spectra, IR spectra, and fluorescence spectra were studied. The UV spectra of the complexes reflect essentially absorption of the ligands for the fact that no obvious change of wavelength and band shape is found between the spectra of the complexes and that of the ligands except slight red shift. The IR absorption spectra indicate that salicylic acid is coordinated to the rare earth ions and chemical bonds are formed between rare earth ions and nitrogen atoms of o-phenanthroline. The fluorescence spectra of the complexes indicate that the fluorescence emission intensity of europium ion was enhanced by the addition of Y3+, which is referred to as cofluorescence. These facts show that not only the ligands but also the yttrium complex can transfer the absorbed energy to Eu3+ ion in the complexes. Formation of polynuclear complexes appears to be responsible for cofluorescence.

Synthesis and characterization of a Eu-containing polymer precursor featuring thenoyltrifluoroacetone and 5-acrylamido-1,10-phenanthroline.

A polymerizable ligand, 5-acrylamido-1,10-phenanthroline (L), was synthesized. Its Eu(III) complex with 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone (HTTA) was prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, MS, and (1)H NMR spectra. The photophysical properties of the complex were studied in detail by using UV, luminescence spectra, luminescence lifetime and quantum yield. The complex shows a remarkable luminescence quantum yield at room temperature (40.1%) upon ligand excitation and a long (5)D(0) lifetime (590 µs), which makes it not only a promising light-conversion molecular device but also an excellent luminescent polymer precursor.