Faced with the need to find new anti-inflammatory agents, great effort has been expended on the development of drugs for the treatment of inflammation. This disorder reduces the quality of life and overall average productivity, causing huge financial losses. In this review the anti-inflammatory activity of 32 bioactive monoterpenes found in essential oils is discussed. The data demonstrate the pharmacological potential of this group of natural chemicals to act as anti-inflammatory drugs.

Abstract:The search for alternative drugs capable of disrupting the inflammatory process has become an important issue in scientific research, especially with reference to the use of natural substances and the reduction of undesirable side effects. Essential oils represent an important source of such substances, since their active constituents often exhibit an array of pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory activity. This review presents an overview of the anti-inflammatory action exerted by phenylpropanoids from essential oils and discusses possible mechanisms of action involved in the anti-inflammatory response, assessed through specific experimental models.

The constituents of essential oils are widely found in foods and aromatic plants giving characteristic odor and flavor. However, pharmacological studies evidence its therapeutic potential for the treatment of several diseases and promising use as compounds with analgesic-like action. Considering that pain affects a significant part of the world population and the need for the development of new analgesics, this review reports on the current studies of essential oils’ chemical constituents with analgesic-like activity, including a description of their mechanisms of action and chemical aspects.

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This review is aimed at presenting relevant information on the therapeutic potential of essential oil sesquiterpenes with anti-inflammatory activity. The data reviewed provide a basis for seeking new anti-inflammatory drugs from natural products that do not exhibit the undesirable side effects often displayed by anti-inflammatory drugs. In this review the experimental models, possible mechanisms of action, and chemical structures of 12 sesquiterpenes are presented.