The Effects of Lavender Essential Oil on Anxious Behavior and Cortisol Levels in Zebrafish

Stress and anxiety are issues that are increasing within the United States. Due to this increase, many have turned to essential oils for relief. Lavender essential oils are widely regarded as an effective remedy to relieve anxious behavior in stressed individuals. In this study, the effect of lavender oil on anxiety within Zebrafish was tested. When presented with a negative stimuli, zebrafish begin to dive to the bottom of the tank. In our studies, the zebrafish were placed in a novel tank, which is shown to induce a stress response, after exposure to various doses of lavender oil. There was a trend for a decrease in both anxiety and whole‐body cortisol levels in fish exposed to lavender oil compared to control. This research suggests that lavender essential oil may be an effective treatment for anxiety.