The aim of this study was to investigate the emotional soothing effects of two limonene-based compound essential oils on premenstrual syndrome (PMS) mice.A progesterone withdrawal (PWD)-induced PMS mouse model was used,and the mood-relieving efficacy of the essential oils was evaluated by assays of serum corticosterone levels and animal behavioral experiments such as the open field (OF) test,elevated cross maze (EPM) test,and forced swim test (FST).The results showed that compound essential oil A contained 61.96% limonene,10.41% linalyl acetate and 8.48% linalool;compound essential oil B contained 52.12% limonene,18.17% linalyl acetate and 15.86% linalool.Intraperitoneal injection of both essential oils showed significant anxiolytic effects in PMS mice in the OF and EPM tests.In the FST,both essential oils significantly reduced the percentage of immobility time in mice and demonstrated a significant antidepressant effect in PMS mice (P< 0.01).Essential oil A at 100 mg/kg and essential oil B at 200 mg/kg was the most effective,with significant anxiolytic effects at this concentration tested by EPM (P < 0.05).In serum corticosterone level assay,essential oil A showed the optimal effect on the reduction of corticosterone in mice at 200 mg/kg concentration,and essential oil B was more effective than essential oil A at 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg concentrations,and significantly superior to the high concentration group.In conclusion,both essential oils produced significant anxiolytic and antidepressant effects in PWD-PMS mice,and the limonene in both oils may be the main contributor to this effect.