What effects does geraniol have?

The Effects of Geraniol

Geraniol is a naturally occurring substance found in many essential oils such as rose, geranium, and citronella. It carries several biological properties including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-cancer effects.

Anti-Microbial Properties

Geraniol has been found to exhibit strong antimicrobial effects. It works by damaging the cytoplasmic membrane of microbes. As a result, it disturbs the microbial cell homeostasis causing antimicrobial action (Vogt, R., & Germonprez, N., 2021).

Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Besides antimicrobial activity, studies suggest that geraniol possesses anti-inflammatory effects. It inhibits various inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandins and nitric oxide, thus alleviating inflammation (Borges, R. S., Ortiz, B. L. S., Pereira, A. C. M., Keita, H., & Carvalho, J. C. T., 2018).

Anti-Oxidant Effects

Geraniol also acts as a potent antioxidant. It has been found to neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative stress, a primary cause of several diseases such as heart disease and cancer (Nazzaro, F., Fratianni, F., De Martino, L., Coppola, R., & De Feo, V., 2013).

Anti-Cancer Properties

One of the most remarkable effects of geraniol is its anti-cancer properties. Several studies suggest that geraniol induces apoptosis and inhibits the growth of cancer cells (Yu, J. Q., Lei, J. C., Zhang, X. Q., Yu, H. D., Tian, D. Z., Liao, X. X., & Zou, G. L., 2008).