Effect of volatile organic chemicals in chrysanthemum indicum linné on blood pressure and electroencephalogram

This study identified the volatile organic compounds in the essential oils that are extracted from Chrysanthemum indicum Linné (C. indicum Linné) and investigated the effects of the inhalation of these compounds. We detected a total of 41 volatile organic compounds, including 32 hydrocarbons, four acids, three alcohols, two ketones, and one aldehyde. In a sniffing test, seven types of volatile organic compounds were identified. Furthermore, the volatile organic compounds in C. indicum Linné that were identified were found to be derived from 1,8-cineole and camphor. After inhalation of the essential oils, the subjects\u27 systolic blood pressure and heart rate decreased. This indicates that inhalation of the essential oils extracted from C. indicum Linné provides mental and physical relaxation. We examined the changes in electroencephalogram findings that are observed after C. indicum Linné essential oil inhalation. An increase in theta and alpha waves, which usually appear during relaxation, as well as a decrease in beta and gamma waves, which appear during brain activity such as excessive attention, were noted. These results indicate that C. indicum Linné essential oil inhalation helps to reduce blood pressure and may provide mental and physical relaxatio

In Situ Observation of Dehydration-Induced Phase Transformation from Na2Nb2O6-H2O to NaNbO3

We have monitored the phase transformation from a Sandia octahedral molecular sieve Na 2Nb 2O 6-H 2O to a piezoelectric NaNbO 3 nanowire through in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements at high temperatures. After dehydration at 288 °C, the Na 2Nb 2O 6-H 2O becomes significantly destabilized and transforms into NaNbO 3 with the increase of time. The phase transformation time is exponentially proportional to the inverse of temperature, for example, ∼10 5 s at 300 °C and ∼10 1 s at 500 °C, and follows an Arrhenius equation with the activation energy of 2.0 eV. Real time TEM investigation directly reveals that the phase transformation occurs through a thermally excited atomic rearrangement due to the small difference of Gibbs free energy between two phases. This work may provide a clue of kinetic control for the development of high piezoelectric lead-free alkaline niobates and a deep insight for the crystallization of oxide nanostructures during a hydrothermal process. © 2012 American Chemical Society.