Bioactivity of essential oils and their components

Abstract

Essential oils (EOs) are secondary metabolites that plants usually synthesise for combating infectious or parasitic agents or generate in response to stress conditions. EOs are aromatic components obtained from different plant parts such as flower, buds, seed, leaves and fruits, and they have been employed for a long time in different industries, mainly in perfumes (fragrances and aftershaves), in food (as flavouring and preservatives) and in pharmaceuticals (therapeutic action). Ten major EO crops account for 80% of the world market for EOs, the remaining 20% of the world market comprises over 150 crops. The major producers of EOs are developing or emerging countries (Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Mexico, Guatemala and Indonesia), while the major consumers are the industrialised countries (USA, western Europe and Japan). The forecasted annual growth of EO markets of around 4% is thus generating new commercial opportunities for the developing world. The large volumes of EOs produced worldwide and the limited number of species in the world trade show the economic potential of EO plants as new crops . The commercialisation of EOs can be targeted around their bioactivity, and in this context the discovery of new uses and applications of EOs will further drive the research and development process . EOs with promising activities are thus reviewed in the present work