Rose plants from the Roscaceae family have been shown to possess anxiolytic effects. Evidence from scientific studies show that sympathetic nervous activity, responsible for the so called fight or flight response, can decrease by 40 % with administration of Rosaceae essential oil. This reduced activity may explain the reduction in blood adrenaline of 30 % following administration of the oil. These effects suggest that odour transduction of pharmacologically active compounds is a real phenomenon that can cause significant physiological responses. For example, one group of researchers assessed the effects of Rosa damascena essential oil on the anxiety experienced by gerbils. The animals were exposed to the essential oil as an odour in a holding room three times daily, and then they were exposed to experimental stress. The results of the study showed that the animals exposed to the oil showed significantly less anxious behaviour compared to control animals. Rosa damascena essential oil may therefore have significant anxiolytic effects.
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