Forest Volatile Organic Compounds and Their Effects on Human Health: A State-of-the-Art Review (original) (raw)
Related papers
Forests, 2021
Multiple positive effects that forests have on human health and overall well-being have been reported widely in the literature. Still, multiple elements of this relationship remain unidentified and unexplained. In this study, the composition of leaf volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) content in three common coniferous species: the Austrian pine (Pinus nigra), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Spruce (Picea abies), was analyzed. The specificity of BVOCs content in the examined species and their genotypes is observed as a plant potential to evaporate these organic compounds and potentially improve human health and well-being. Principal component analysis applied on BVOCs content among species showed significant differences between compounds that have previously been characterized as having positive effects on human health by acting as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial. Variations among genotypes of the investigated species were observed in the content of BVOCs...
Terpenes in Forest Air – Health Benefit and Healing Potential
2017
Wellness function and potential of the forest cover a wide range of physical, chemical, biological and last but not least aesthetic stimuli. The forest has an important influence on air composition through its positive essential substances. Besides favourable contribution of light ions there are primarily balsamic substances (essential oils) there. It is a substance primarily based on terpenes. These are created mainly in coniferous forests, in compositions of spruce, fir, pine, bog pine, dwarf pine/scrub and dwarf pine Pinus rotundata bog. Shumava Mountain area in the Czech Republic presents an example of such “ecotype". In terms of the impact of such an environment on human are reminded that stay in forest is, from a health perspective, a case of natural inhalation. The artificial inhalations are for example humidifiers, nebulizers, aromatic lamps, candles, etc. The authors investigated the presence of balsam oil in forest air in Shumava locations of Breznik, Polednik and Mod...
Forests
Forest bathing is based upon a Japanese practice known as Shinrin–Yoku and is a nature-based therapy involving mindful walks through ancient woodland to reduce stress and anxiety. One proposed mechanism behind the effectiveness of Forest bathing is based on the potential mental and physical health benefits of the natural volatile organic compounds (NVOCs) that fill the forest understory. Surprisingly little is known about the concentrations and diversity of plant NVOCs in ambient air particularly in the UK and this study aims to increase that knowledge. Air samples were collected in July 2022 in a UK forest and compared with samples from a walled garden environment. The samples were collected over a 2 h time period and analysed using GC-MS and showed clear differences in the chemical composition of the air. This study revealed NVOCs including limonene, carvone, terpenes, terpenoids and sesquiterpenoids were present within a UK forest but were either not present or present at little ...
Therapeutic Potential of Volatile Terpenes and Terpenoids from Forests for Inflammatory Diseases
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2020
Forest trees are a major source of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs). Terpenes and terpenoids are known as the main BVOCs of forest aerosols. These compounds have been shown to display a broad range of biological activities in various human disease models, thus implying that forest aerosols containing these compounds may be related to beneficial effects of forest bathing. In this review, we surveyed studies analyzing BVOCs and selected the most abundant 23 terpenes and terpenoids emitted in forested areas of the Northern Hemisphere, which were reported to display anti-inflammatory activities. We categorized anti-inflammatory processes related to the functions of these compounds into six groups and summarized their molecular mechanisms of action. Finally, among the major 23 compounds, we examined the therapeutic potentials of 12 compounds known to be effective against respiratory inflammation, atopic dermatitis, arthritis, and neuroinflammation among various inflammatory di...
Terpenes from Forests and Human Health
Toxicological research, 2017
Forest bathing has beneficial effects on human health via showering of forest aerosols as well as physical relaxation. Terpenes that consist of multiple isoprene units are the largest class of organic compounds produced by various plants, and one of the major components of forest aerosols. Traditionally, terpene-containing plant oil has been used to treat various diseases without knowing the exact functions or the mechanisms of action of the individual bioactive compounds. This review categorizes various terpenes easily obtained from forests according to their anti-inflammatory, anti-tumorigenic, or neuroprotective activities. Moreover, potential action mechanisms of the individual terpenes and their effects on such processes, which are described in various in vivo and in vitro systems, are discussed. In conclusion, the studies that show the biological effectiveness of terpenes support the benefits of forest bathing and propose a potential use of terpenes as chemotherapeutic agents ...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
The practice of spending time in green areas to gain the health benefits provided by trees is well known, especially in Asia, as ‘forest bathing’, and the consequent protective and experimentally detectable effects on the human body have been linked to the biogenic volatile organic compounds released by plants. Houseplants are common in houses over the globe and are particularly appreciated for aesthetic reasons as well for their ability to purify air from some environmental volatile pollutants indoors. However, to the best of our knowledge, no attempt has been made to describe the health benefits achievable from houseplants thanks to the biogenic volatile organic compounds released, especially during the day, from some of them. Therefore, we performed the present study, based on both a literature analysis and in silico studies, to investigate whether the volatile compounds and aerosol constituents emitted by some of the most common houseplants (such as peace lily plant, Spathiphyll...
Environmental Impact II, 2014
Biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions from thirty-eight tree species (twenty broad leaved and eighteen coniferous) grown in Turkey were measured. BVOC samples were collected with a specialized dynamic enclosure technique in forest areas where these tree species are naturally grown. In this method, the branches were enclosed in transparent nalofan bags maintaining their natural conditions and avoiding any source of stress. The air samples from the inlet and outlet of the bags were collected on an adsorbent tube containing Tenax. Samples were analyzed using a thermal desorption (TD) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) system. Sixty-five BVOC compounds were analyzed in five major groups: isoprene, monoterpenes, sesquiterpens, oxygenated sesquiterpenes and other oxygenated VOCs. Emission factors were calculated and adjusted to standard conditions (1000 μmol/m 2 s photosynthetically active radiation-PAR and 30°C temperature). Consistent with the literature, broad leaved trees emitted mainly isoprene while the coniferous trees emitted mainly monoterpenes. Even though fir species are coniferous trees, they emitted significant amounts of isoprene in addition to monoterpenes. Oak species showed a large inter-species variability in their emissions. Pine species emitted mainly monoterpenes and substantial amounts of oxygenated compounds.
Editorial: Biogenic volatiles in natural and urban forest
Frontiers in Plant Science, 2023
Editorial on the Research Topic Biogenic volatiles in natural and urban forests Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) are secondary metabolites which play an important role in the adaptive capacity of trees in response to climate change. BVOCs released into the atmosphere, including isoprene, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and their oxygenated derivatives, are shaping the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere, particularly within forested regions (Faiola et al., 2012), thus contributing to the regulation of the global climate. Substantial research has been devoted to BVOC emissions and their involvement in atmospheric chemistry and plant physiological processes (Peñuelas and Llusià, 2003; Bao et al., 2022). The main functions of BVOCs are summarized in Figure 1. BVOC emissions are involved in defense mechanisms against biotic stresses, such as herbivores and parasites, acting both as allelochemicals and as as signals to neighboring plants (Kegge and Pierik, 2010). They play a major role in plant-to-plant communication, functioning as growth modulators and as signals about herbivory or other stress stimuli, enabling neighboring plants to activate their own defense mechanisms (Ninkovic et al., 2021). BVOCs are also involved in responses to abiotic stresses such as drought, high temperatures and air pollution, enhancing plant tolerance and resilience to various environmental stresses (Loreto and Schnitzler, 2010). The Research Topic "Biogenic Volatiles in Natural and Urban Forest" comprises one review article and four research papers. The blend of BVOCs is species-specific and constitutes a metabolic fingerprint than can be deciphered through volatilomic screening (Majchrzak et al., 2020). The amount of emissions is greatly influenced by environmental conditions and phenological stages. The review article by Mu et al. conducted an in-depth analysis of the spatial and temporal fluctuations of these emissions. It is emphasized on the regional variability and species specificity of the biogenic emissions. The emission of BVOCs from tropical plants is also the topic of the paper of Moura et al. who investigated the effect of ozone (O 3) on three native species from the Atlantic Rain Forest: Croton floribundus, Astronium graveolens and Piptadenia gonoacantha. By combining measurements of BVOC emissions and histochemical techniques, the authors aimed to reveal the strategies of these species to counteract oxidative stress. Moreover, the Frontiers in Plant Science frontiersin.org 01
Forests
The exposure to monoterpenes emitted by plants to the air might provide human health benefits during forest-based leisure activities. However, forests, especially Mediterranean ones, lack studies to relate forest production and the emission of monoterpenes, considering potential human forest exposure. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the variation in the abundance of monoterpenes in the human breathable air under the canopy of a Mediterranean conifer forest, evaluating the influence of different factors. For this purpose, from March to November 2018, we monitored the abundance of monoterpenes in the air at nose height, leaf development, air temperature and soil water potential in a mountain Mediterranean forest of Pinus pinaster located in Sierra de Albarracín (Teruel, Spain). We detected six monoterpenes, with α-pinene, β-pinene and limonene being the three most abundant. Temperature was the main environmental factor driving the abundance of monoterpenes in air, with a ma...
Health and Exposure to VOCs From Pinewood in Indoor Environments
Frontiers in Built Environment
As a natural, biological material, wood emits various organic chemical substances, mostly volatile organic compounds (VOCs), very volatile organic compounds (VVOCs) and formaldehyde. When such emissions occur in indoor spaces, concentrations of these substances are higher than concentrations outdoors. Consequently, the level of emissions from building materials are of relevance in relation to their possible health effects. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that exposure to VOCs from Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) might increase mucous membrane symptoms and/or general symptoms, compared to exposure to VOCs from Norway spruce (Picea abies). The study was carried out as a double-blinded, crossover, randomized, controlled trial. The health indicators were measured using objective and subjective methods. The VOC exposure was measured with a proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Thirty healthy individuals participated. The mean concentration of CO 2 inside the chamber in each session varied between 420 ppm and 533 ppm. The temperature and RH varied between 21.5 • C and 23.7 • C and 12.0% and 24.2%. Ozone was supplied via ventilated outdoor air. The median concentration in outdoor air was 23 µg/m 3 (13 ppb). The study was conducted with a statistically significant difference in the exposure to VOCs between the experimental (pine) exposure and the control (spruce) exposure. The mean concentrations of VOCs during the experimental exposure were methanol (31 ppb), acetaldehyde (8 ppb), formic acid (11 ppb), acetone/propanal (14 ppb), acetic acid (14 ppb) and monoterpenes (172 ppb). No difference in health outcome was revealed between the experimental and the control exposure. No inflammatory reactions or sensory irritation were found with exposure to 172 ppb monoterpenes and a low ozone concentration. Low relative humidity may have increased eye blinking in the participants in both exposure situations.