Central effects of citral, myrcene and limonene, constituents of essential oil chemotypes from Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E. Brown

Citral increased barbiturate sleeping time in mice by 2.3 to 3.5 times at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight.

• Citral, myrcene, and limonene decreased the number of crossings, rearing, and grooming behaviors in the open-field test in mice.
• Muscle relaxation was noted with citral and myrcene at higher doses, while limonene induced this effect even at the lowest dose tested.
• Citral and myrcene at 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight lengthened sleep duration without affecting sleep onset.
• In the elevated-plus maze, citral at high doses reduced the number of entries into open arms by 46%, while limonene and myrcene also showed decreases at high doses.
• All three compounds exhibited sedative and motor relaxant properties, but no anxiolytic effects were observed, with some evidence suggesting a slight anxiogenic effect at higher doses.

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