Excessive inflammation can worsen various human diseases. Essential oils are safe for long-term use and the different ratios of components affect biological properties. This study compared the anti-inflammatory activities and volatile compositions of six essential oils to select safe and effective anti-inflammatory agents. The essential oils were extracted from Agastache rugosa, Illicium anisatum, Magnolia kobus, Peucedanum japonicum, Torreya nucifera, and Vitex rotundifolia via hydro-distillation. Their chemical composition was analyzed using GC-MS. The anti-inflammatory effect was assessed by analyzing the impact on the expression of inflammation-related genes (IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-13, TNF-α, and COX-2) in RBL-2H3.

 The results showed that the essential oils were effective in the following order; I. anisatum, A. rugosa, P. japonicum, V. rotundifolia, M. kobus, and T. nucifera. All essential oils significantly reduced IL-6 and IL-13 gene expression. Notably, I. anisatum and A. rugosa inhibited five genes, excluding IL-4. In contrast, no decrease in  IL-4 gene expression was observed by any of the six species. GC-MS analysis of I. anisatum revealed that its major components were eucalyptol (33.8%), myristicin (27.2%), and linalool (8.9%). These results suggest that I. anisatum is the most suitable an anti-inflammatory agent.