Geraniol – Terpenes and Cannabinoid Research

Summary of Geraniol Effects

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory (via decreased lipid peroxidation, inhibiting NO release and ROS generation)

Analgesic (via possibly modulating peripheral nerve excitability, glutamatergic neurotransmission, opioid, GABAergic, and serotonergic activity as well as NO-related mechanisms)

Neuroprotective in mouse models of induced nerve injury and spinal cord injury. In mice, geraniol also reduced locomotion, relieved acute seizures, altered the EEG, and facilitated general anesthesia. Produces anxiolytic, antidepressant, nootropic, and antioxidant effects at low doses in mice. Rats also had ameliorated aging-related memory impairment, improved neuronal architecture, and spatial memory (via attenuating oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, cell apoptosis, promoting the recovery of neuronal function, attenuating neuropathic pain, suppressing the activity of PVT neurons, and GABAA receptors)

In mice, may be cardioprotective against CAD and cardiac diabetic complications, reduces the injury during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion, promotes the function and viability of myocardial cells, antiarrhythmic, reduces total cholesterol and total triglyceride production in the plasma, inhibits the biosynthesis of hepatic fatty acids, total lipids, and non-saponifiable lipids and possibly induces vasorelaxation (via inhibiting oxidative stress, decreasing hyperglycemia, calcium channel modulation, downregulation of HMGCR, and inhibition of lipogenesis)

Antidiabetic effects in mice such as decreased plasma glucose, hemoglobin HbA1C and could restore the insulin response. Protective effect on diabetic neuropathy and improved the sensory and motor functions in mice. Ameliorates the progress of HFD/STZ-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus and improves excessive vasoconstriction induced by diabetes in rats. Improved mice cardiac systolic function and ischemia associated with diabetes, lipid profile, liver, and kidney function (via decreasing enzyme activities, dependently upregulating the expression of Bcl-2 and downregulating Casp3 and Bax expression)

Gastroprotective in human pilot study by reducing IBS symptoms and gut dysbiosis, as well as in mouse ulcerative colitis and colitis models. Antiulcerogenic on gastric and duodenal mucosa (via anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects including attenuating COX-2 expression in the gut wall)

Potentially hepatoprotective against non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in rat model with inhibitory effect on histological scores, fibrosis, and apoptosis in the liver. Promotes liver regeneration (via inhibiting ALT/AST in the serum, suppressing hepatic mitochondrial ROS, mitochondrial electron transport chain enzyme activity, and mitochondrial DNA content, in addition to multiple antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects)

Lung protective effects in mice models of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection (via immunomodulatory regulation of ERK/JNK and NF-κB signaling)

Anti-tumor, chemo-synergistic, and chemotoxic protective effects in model cancer cell lines such as colon, endometrial, liver, lung, oral, pancreatic, prostate, and skin (via suppressing cell growth, inducing apoptosis and reducing apoptotic damage, and multiple signaling pathways)

Antibacterial and antibiofilm (via bactericidal and bacteriostatic mechanisms such as adhering to bacterial cell membrane lipids)

Antifungal effects against Candida albicans and Trichophyton rubrum (via destroying cell wall function by downregulating the activity of plasma membrane ATPase, reducing ergosterol levels, suppressing fungal components and expansion, destroying mitochondrial function, breaking iron homeostasis, mitigating genetic toxicity, and causing leakage of intracellular material)

Last reviewed by Dr. Abraham Benavides M.D., 04-22-2022