POTENTIAL ANTIDEPRESSANT EFFECTS OF PEPPERMINT OIL (MENTHA PIPERITA L.) ON MALE WISTAR RATS (RATTUS NORVEGICUS) WITH ELECTROCARDIOGRAM ANALYSIS

• Main Author: Nur Azmani, Bayani
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/74345
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Prolonged stress factors may lead to mental health disorders such as depression. Nowadays the number of depression cases continues to rise, accompanied by the use of synthetic antidepressants that often arrive with side effects. This condition has prompted the search for non-pharmacological therapies to minimize these side effects. In this study, the inhalation therapy method using Peppermint Essential Oil (PEO) was employed to explore its potential as an alternative antidepressant therapy, with electrocardiogram monitoring used to assess its impact on the cardiac electrophysiological parameters as a vital organ. Twenty-five male Wistar rats weighing 200-220 g were divided into five treatment groups: (1) aquadest (vehicle), (2) 1% PEO (v/v), (3) 2.5% PEO (v/v), (4) 5% PEO (v/v), and (5) fluoxetine 14 mg/kg (positive control). All treatment groups were induced with acute restraint stress for 90 minutes. Electrocardiogram monitoring using a Wireless Mice Electrocardiogram (WIM ECG) was conducted for each 3 minutes at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 minutes during the treatment. The PEO content was analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS), and the highest compound contents were found to be menthol and menthone, which are volatile compounds. The administration of PEO significantly influenced certain cardiac electrophysiological parameters similar to fluoxetine compared to vehicle treatment. Inhalation of 5% PEO significantly affected the RR interval and heart rate at minutes 30, 75, and 90, similar to the condition observed with fluoxetine compared to the vehicle (p,0.05). However, no significant effects were observed on other electrophysiological parameters (P wave, T wave, QRS complex, ST segment, and QT interval). The administration of PEO showed a significant increase in the RR interval duration and a decrease in the number of heartbeats (bpm). Based on these findings, 5% PEO indicated an antidepressant effect based on the increased duration of the RR interval and the reduction in the number of heartbeats (bpm) after PEO inhalation.