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Review
. 2018 May 2;23(5):1061.
doi: 10.3390/molecules23051061.

Essential Oils and Their Constituents Targeting the GABAergic System and Sodium Channels as Treatment of Neurological Diseases

Ze-Jun Wang  1 , Thomas Heinbockel  2
Affiliations
Review

Essential Oils and Their Constituents Targeting the GABAergic System and Sodium Channels as Treatment of Neurological Diseases

Ze-Jun Wang et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Essential oils and the constituents in them exhibit different pharmacological activities, such as antinociceptive, anxiolytic-like, and anticonvulsant effects. They are widely applied as a complementary therapy for people with anxiety, insomnia, convulsion, pain, and cognitive deficit symptoms through inhalation, oral administration, and aromatherapy. Recent studies show that essential oils are emerging as a promising source for modulation of the GABAergic system and sodium ion channels. This review summarizes the recent findings regarding the pharmacological properties of essential oils and compounds from the oils and the mechanisms underlying their effects. Specifically, the review focuses on the essential oils and their constituents targeting the GABAergic system and sodium channels, and their antinociceptive, anxiolytic, and anticonvulsant properties. Some constituents target transient receptor potential (TRP) channels to exert analgesic effects. Some components could interact with multiple therapeutic target proteins, for example, inhibit the function of sodium channels and, at the same time, activate GABAA receptors. The review concentrates on perspective compounds that could be better candidates for new drug development in the control of pain and anxiety syndromes.

Keywords: CNS; GABA receptor; analgesics; anticonvulsant; antinociception; anxiolytic; epilepsy; essential oils; pain; sensory neurons; sodium channel; terpenes; transient receptor potential (TRP) channel.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The chemical structures of terpenes with analgesic properties targeting the Na+ and transient receptor potential (TRP) channels.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The chemical structures of terpenes with analgesic and anticonvulsant properties targeting GABAA receptors.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The chemical structures of phenylpropanoid derivatives with analgesic properties.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The chemical structures of terpenes with anxiolytic targeting GABAA receptors.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The non-terpene constituents with anticonvulsant and anxiolytic activities.
Figure 6
Figure 6
The terpenes acting on GABAA receptors as antagonists.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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