Unless you’re one of those unlucky people who suffer from seasonal allergies, a walk in the forest, or in the Australian bush, or just a stroll through a park when the grass is being mown, can provide an instant lift to your spirits.
Australian biomedical scientist, Dr Nickolas Lavidis, from the University of Queensland School of Biomedical Science first thought about bottling this uplifting sensory experience on a trip to Yosemite National Park in America in the 1980s.
“Three days in the park felt like a three-month holiday,” he said in Brisbane on August 20, 2009, at the launch of the new spray, Serenascent.
“I didn't realise at the time that it was the actual combination of 'feel good' chemicals released by the pine trees, the lush vegetation and the cut grass that made me feel so relaxed. “
Dr Lavidis made the connection with plant chemicals and relaxation many years later when a neighbour commented how good the cut grass smelt, as Dr Lavidis was mowing his lawn.
Stress Relief from Plant Aromas
Dr Lavidis and pharmacologist, Associate Professor Rosemarie Einstein, worked for seven years to develop the spray.
When grasses and green leaves are cut, at least five chemicals with stress-relieving properties are released. While the actual composition of Serenascent is a commercial secret, the spray contains three of these chemicals.
“Prolonged stress can lead to a number of serious conditions like high blood pressure, heart problems, memory loss, anxiety, depression and the suppression of the body's ability to fight infections,” Dr Lavidis said.
Stress Damages the Brain and Immune System
“There are two types of stress. The first is when you are about to perform something or you know you are going to have to do something well. That's acute stress and can be a good form of stress,” he explained.
“Bad stress is chronic stress and is associated with an increase in blood pressure, forgetfulness and a weakening of the immune system.”
Chronic stress has been shown to damage the hippocampus by reducing the number of synaptic connections between communicating neurons, he said.
“Functionally this loss leads to a reduction in communication between neurons and a resultant loss of memory. In old animals this damage is permanent.”
Plant Aromas Work on Amygdala and Hippocampus
Dr Lavidis said that the chemicals released from cut grasses and leaves incorporated in the spray worked directly on the brain. In particular, they acted on the emotional and memory parts known as the amygdala and the hippocampus.
“These two areas form the limbic system that controls the sympathetic nervous system,” he said.
“They are responsible for the ‘flight or fight’ response and the endocrine system, which controls the releasing of stress hormones like corticosteroids. The new spray appears to regulate these areas.”
The spray could be used as a room freshener or sprayed on a handkerchief, clothing or bedding, and there is potential for it to be incorporated into perfumes and cosmetics.
Ongoing Research on ‘Feel Good’ Spray
Serenascent is soon to be released commercially in Australia, but further research projects have been started by colleagues at the School of Biomedical Science or are awaiting funding into the effects of the ‘feel good’ spray.
Two of Dr Lavidis’ PhD students, Liz Butt and Ei Leen Leong, have been trialing the stress relieving spray on lab animals.
Their results have not yet been published, but Dr Lavidis said the students had shown that animals exposed to Serenascent during chronic stress were protected from the stress-induced damage of the hippocampus.
Other projects are looking at the effects of Serenascent and stress on the immune system, the action of the spray on the hippocampus and amygdala, and what effect it has on oxidant levels in the blood.
The spray, Serescent, is now available commercially through the website,
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Sue Cartledge - I'm a science, health, nutrition and lifestyle journalist, fascinated by the way the physical world operates in all its forms, and how ...
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