One characteristic of anxiety that can be particularly debilitating is the inability to sleep. Sedatives can be useful in the treatment of anxiety because they can induce sleep. Rosa damascena is commonly known as the Damask Rose, a popular ornamental plant. There are over 200 species of rose and many show medicinal properties. Evidence suggests that the Damask Rose has sedative properties, and this may make it useful in the treatment of anxiety. This may relate to the ability of extracts of the rose to suppress the activity of the central nervous system, having an overall calming effect. In animals, a sedative effect has been demonstrated to be comparable to that of the pharmacological drug diazepam. Based on other species of rose, it may be that this effect is elicited through activation of the GABA system. Damask Rose also has a significant antioxidant effect. As antioxidants have been shown to possess anxiolytic effects, this may explain the use of the Damask Rose in the treatment of anxiety.
The Damask Rose contains a number of phytochemicals that may explain its sedative and antioxidant effects including terpenes and flavonoids. The flavonoids within the plant include quercetin, kaempferol and anthocyanins. An essential oil is also present within the tissues of the plant and this may include β-citronellol (14.5 to 47.5 %), nonadecane (10.5 to 40.5 %), geraniol (5.5 to 18 %), with nerol and kaempferol being the major components of the essential oil.
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RdB
