{
  "abstract": "Aloysia deserticola is an aromatic plant native to the Chilean Andean highlands that has traditionally been used in herbal preparations. Although a previous behavioral study reported the anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects of rica-rica essential oil in an animal model, its neurophysiological actions at cellular and synaptic levels remain largely unexplored. In this study, we characterized A. deserticola essential oil (AD-EO) using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and examined its acute effects on GABAergic synaptic transmission via whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from CA1 pyramidal neurons in acute dorsal hippocampal slices obtained from C57BL/6 J mice. GC–MS analysis revealed an enriched thujone chemical profile, with peaks tentatively identified as α- and β-thujone accounting for 89.06% and 3.38% of the total chromatographic area, respectively. Application of AD-EO to the bath reduced evoked inhibitory postsynaptic current (eIPSC) amplitude in a concentration-dependent manner and shortened eIPSC decay kinetics. This is consistent with a postsynaptic contribution to the suppression of inhibitory signaling. At intermediate-to-high estimated thujone-equivalent concentrations, AD-EO increased the paired-pulse ratio. Coefficient-of-variation analysis supported the presence of an additional presynaptic component. Consistent with these findings, AD-EO reduced the frequency and amplitude of miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents. Furthermore, the effects on eIPSC amplitude and the paired-pulse ratio were reversible following washout. Together, these results demonstrate that AD-EO suppresses inhibitory synapses in CA1 pyramidal neurons via effects consistent with pre- and postsynaptic locus . These results provide electrophysiological evidence that AD-EO modulates hippocampal inhibitory transmission and support further investigation of the mechanisms underlying the neurophysiological actions of this complex natural preparation.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Centro de Neurobiología y Fisiopatología Integrativa (CENFI), Laboratorio de Neuroplasticidad, Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso",
    "Millennium Nucleus of Neuroepigenetics and Plasticity (EpiNeuro)",
    "Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso",
    "Facultad de Farmacia, Escuela de Química y Farmacia, Laboratorio de Química de Metabolitos Bioactivos Universidad de Valparaíso",
    "Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias, Mención Neurociencia, Universidad de Valparaíso",
    "Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Viña del Mar",
    "Centro de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación de Productos Bioactivos (CInBIO), Universidad de Valparaíso"
  ],
  "article_type": "brief report",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Juan Ahumada"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Pablo Morel-Alonso"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Nicole Vidal-Herrera"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Koyam Morales-Weil"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Waleska Vera"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Marco Fuenzalida"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ej808hsff49ga.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fphar.2026.1917739",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13713359",
  "id": "ej808hsff49ga",
  "issns": [
    "1663-9812"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1917739/full",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Brief Research Report"
    ],
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      "openalex",
      "2804|Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research"
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  "openalex": "W7221834607",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1917739/pdf",
  "pmcid": "PMC13713359",
  "pmid": "42952514",
  "published": "2026-10-14",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ej808hsff49ga.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:06Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fphar.2026.1917739",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1917739/full"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T00:20:34Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42952514",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952514"
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    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T12:23:55Z",
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:2804|Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research",
      "subfield": "neuroscience"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Aloysia deserticola (rica-rica) essential oil impairs inhibitory synaptic transmission in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons",
  "title_text": "Aloysia deserticola (rica-rica) essential oil impairs inhibitory synaptic transmission in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-01T12:21:02Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ej808hsff49ga",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Pharmacology",
  "versions": []
}