Abstract
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of salivary amylase activity as an indicator of the acute psychological sedative effects of fragrances used in household products such as clothing softeners. Twenty seven healthy Philippine female subjects in their late 30 s were enrolled (38.7±5.2 yr). This study was undertaken to investigate the favorite fragrance of Asian and Pacific Islander women. Our results indicated that (i) a mixed floral fragrance might be a favorite fragrance for Filipinas; (ii) fragrances contained in a softener significantly induced a sedative effect in humans, as assessed by both analysis of the biochemical marker and subjective evaluation; (iii) salivary amylase activity has the potential to be an excellent indicator for the evaluation of the acute psychological sedative effects of fragrance.
