Aromatherpy is the controlled use of essential oils to promote health and well-being. The most frequent form of using the essential oils is through massage; however, essential oil can be used in a variety of other ways such as inhalation, vaporization, in the bath and through a compress. In this work we have investigated the effect of eucalyptus and geranium on nitric oxide (NO) production in mice to understand the effect of these oils on immune system. Mouse splenocytes were incubated with essential oils and Con A to observe the effects on cell proliferation. The culture supernatants of mouse splenocytes exposed with these oils were harvested to assay NO production. The NO production was inhibited after essential oils exposure. The reduction in NO levels by these agents may be related to down-regulation of inflammation. (Cancer Prev Res 10, 225-231, 2005)

Keywords: Eucalyptus, Geraniumm, Immunity, Cell proliferation, Nitric oxide