Chemistry of Love : the Scent of Magnolia and Jasmine Effected on Human Brains

Love is in the air?..Could a scent make us more attractive? What kind of role does a scent play in sexual attractiveness between people?

source

Scientifically and chemically, could probably be proved that love is actually in the air! According to a study, a compound, produced by the fragrance of two flowers, jasmine and magnolia, has a sex specific activation and effect on human brains. This chemical, airborne compound, with floral and citrus aroma, called methyl dihydrojasmonate, also known as Hedione.

source

Hedione comes from the greek word “hedone” (ηδονή), meaning pleasure, lust. Hedone was the daughter of the gods Eros and Psyche, the goddess of sensual pleasure and delight. Hedione, which is synthesized from the organic compound methyl jasmonate, (which discovered in 1957 and is important for root growth, fruit ripening, flowering and senescence ) also called the aroma of success.

source

It has long been debated if humans can communicate through chemical signals, called pheromones, as animals do.
A group of cell physiologists from Bochum in Germany, has shown that the- pleasant fresh jasmine-magnolia scent- Hedione, activates a specific type of receptor, the putative pheromone receptor VN1R1 in humans, which occurs in the olfactory mucosa. The researchers from Bochum, headed by professor Dr. Dr. Dr. Hans Hatt have collaborated with the team from the University Hospital Dresden, headed by professor Dr. med Thomas Hummel and published the results of the research in the journal Neuromalge.

source

The scientists confirmed the existence of the pheromone receptor in humans.
A pheromone (from Greek φέρω, to bear and hormone, from Greek ορμή, impetus) is a chemical an animal produces which changes the behavior of another animal of the same species (include insects). Gustav Jager was the first scientist to propose the idea of pheromones, called them anthropines. There are alarm pheromones, food trail pheromones, sex pheromones and many others that affect behavior. Mice have almost 300 different genes for pheromone receptors. In humans believed that there are only five which still function!

source

The team, analyzed brain activity when a person inhales methyl dihydrojasmonate, (Hedione). Hedione activated the areas of the brain controlling the limbic system, which supports a lot of functions such as emotion, motivation, behavior, long term memory, smell.!

source

The limbic system operates by influencing the endocrine system and autonomic nervous system. It is also connected with the nucleus accumbens, which plays a role in sexual arousal.

source

source

Hedione also, activated the hypothalamus ( from Greek υπο, under and θάλαμος,thalamus) , in women more strongly than in men, which controls sexual behaviour through the endocrine system, by regulating hormone levels.

source

Dr Hans Hatt, after this research wants to find out the physiological and psychological parameters, that are affected, when the scent produced by jasmine and magnolia activates the pheromone receptor.

source

According to the scientists Hedione may prove to be the first example of a human pheromone. But except the smell spell of methyl dihydrojasmonate, the human complexities of attraction influenced by many others conditions, feelings, behaviors.

source

References

sciencedirect.com
telegraph.co.uk
sciencedaily.com
biophilesblog.wordpress.com
wikipedia.org.pheromone
medicalnewstoday.com
abcnews.go.com
organicfacts.net
wikipedia.org.methyl jasmonate
wikipedia.org.hedone
wikipedia.org.limbic system
wikipedia.org.hypothalamus
wikipedia.org.methyl dihydrojasmonate
time.com
medicalnewstoday.com