Essential oils and their bioactive molecules in health care

Yeshi, Karma;Wangchuk, Phurpa

Abstract

Plants produce secondary metabolites such as essential oils, mainly as a defensive agent against pathogens. Essential oils, which are broadly classified as oxygenated compounds and hydrocarbons, are mostly concentrated in flowers, seeds, leaves, rhizomes, and barks of plants. Different techniques are used for extracting essential oils and the most commonly used one is hydrodistillation. More than 3000 essential oils have been extracted from 17,500 plants, and about 300 are commercially available in the flavour and fragrance markets. Depending upon the cultures of different countries, essential oils have been widely used in foods, cosmetics, perfumeries, feeds, beverages, aromatherapies, and pharmaceuticals. Various bioactivity screening studies showed that essential oils are good antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-oxidant, anti-plasmodial, antiparasitic, and anti-inflammatory agents. While essential oils have many health benefits, there is a need for in-depth phytochemical and pharmacological assessments.

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Herbal Biomolecules in Health Care Applications

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978-0-323-85852-6

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London, UK, Academic Press

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United Kingdom

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DOI

10.1016/B978-0-323-85852-6.00006-8