經由吸入法探討馬喬蓮及岩蘭草精油對於人類的紓壓成效

The Relaxing Effect of Marjoram and Vetiver Essential Oil on Humans after Inhalation

本研究主要是探討馬喬蓮精油、岩蘭草精油及兩者混合對於紓壓的效果。藉由薰燈法吸入馬喬蓮精油、岩蘭草精油或馬喬蓮精油加岩蘭草精油，比較實驗前後血壓、心跳速率、體表溫度及壓力指數的差異。實驗分別各取馬喬蓮精油（十四滴）、岩蘭草精油（十四滴）或馬喬蓮加岩蘭草精油（各七滴）加入20mL蒸餾水，進行薰燈吸入實驗六十分鐘。實驗結果顯示馬喬蓮、岩蘭草與馬喬蓮加岩蘭草精油都會引起收縮壓、舒張壓、心跳速率及壓力指數的減少，而且和控制組比較都有顯著差異。但馬喬蓮加岩蘭草之複方精油與馬喬蓮或岩蘭草之單方精油比較後，發現馬喬蓮加岩蘭草之複方精油對收縮壓、舒張壓、心跳速率、壓力指數，並無顯著差異，代表馬喬蓮加岩蘭草之複方精油對紓壓成效，並無加乘效果。因此，本研究結論為馬喬蓮與岩蘭草精油可能透過減少受測者的收縮壓、舒張壓、心跳速率或壓力指數，來達到紓壓效果。

The aim of this study was to investigate the relaxing effect on humans of Marjoram essential oil and Vetiver essential oil either alone or in combination. After inhalation of Marjoram （14 drops in 20 ml distilled water）, or Vetiver （14 drops in 20 ml distilled water）, or the combination of Marjoram and Vetiver （7 drops of Marjoram and 7 drops of Vetiver in 20 ml distilled water） for 60 minutes, physiological parameters （i. e. blood pressure, heart rate, and pressure index） were recorded and compared for the difference between pretest and postpest. Compared with the control group, all the Marjoram, Vetiver and the combination of Marjoram and Vetiver caused a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and pressure index; but, skin temperature was unaffected. Moreover, there were no significant differences in these physiological parameters between the Marjoram or Vetiver alone and the combination of Marjoram and Vetiver. This suggests that the combination of Marjoram and Vetiver has no extra synergistic effect on relaxing depression. These results indicated that a relaxing effect of the Marjoram and Vetiver essential oils may act through decreasing the blood pressure, heart rate, and pressure index of the subjects to cause a relief of depression in humans.