Physiological and Psychological Effects of Rose ‘Wishing’ Flowers and Their Hydrosols on the Human Autonomic Nervous System and Mood State

Abstract

Physiological and psychological effects of rose aromas have been reported. Many of these reports focused on the effect of rose essential oils, but the effect of rose fresh flowers on humans has not been sufficiently reported. We were also interested in the possibility of using rose hydrosol, a byproduct of the rose essential oil manufacturing process, for aromatherapy. In this study, the physiological and psychological effects of rose ‘Wishing’ fresh flowers and their hydrosols on humans were evaluated. R–R power spectral analysis of heart beats revealed the sedative effect of the fresh flowers’ scent. On the other hand, hydrosols did not show such an effect. Gas chromatography (GC) and GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis indicated the possibility that the sedative effect of the fresh flowers’ scent was derived from β-caryophyllene, phenylethyl acetate, and 3,5-dimethoxy toluene. It is possible that fresh rose flowers may be an alternative to rose essential oils in aromatherapy.