Essential oils: a review on their salient biological activities and major delivery strategies

Abstract

Essential oils are volatile, complex products of plants as secondary metabolites and include terpenes and their oxygenated derivatives, such as alcohols, aldehydes, esters, ketones, phenols and oxides. In recent years, out of 3000 essential oils obtained from plant origin only 300 essential oils have gained extensive attention for applications in various fields. In this review, we discuss the major biological activities associated with EOs as antimicrobial, antispasmodic, antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, insecticidal, antiparasitic, and cytotoxic agents. Different routes for delivery of essential oil along with the problems associated with essential oils like high volatility, low stability, permeability, bioavailability, poor water solubility, susceptibility to oxidation, decomposition, photosensitization and skin irritation are also highlighted. Furthermore, strategies to solve the mentioned problems are suggested by different nanoencapsulating systems. These include polymer-based nanocarriers, lipid-based nanocarriers and molecular complexes. It is believed that nanoencapsulation of essential oils will improve their therapeutic activity and delivery.

Antiviral and Virucidal Properties of Essential Oils and Isolated Compounds – A Scientific Approach

“…2) and their oxygenated derivatives (alcohols, aldehydes, esters, ketones, phenols, and oxides) [13,[23][24][25]. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that EOs and many of their individual EOCs exhibit different biological properties, for example, antibacterial [13,23,25], antifungal [13], antiviral [13], antioxidant [26,27], immunomodulatory [28,29], anti-inflammatory [24,27], and wound healing effects [30]. Due to their fat solubility, low molecular weight, and small size, the EOCs are able to pass through the skin, mucosa, and cell membranes and thus enter the systemic body circulation [13,24].…”

“…Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that EOs and many of their individual EOCs exhibit different biological properties, for example, antibacterial [13,23,25], antifungal [13], antiviral [13], antioxidant [26,27], immunomodulatory [28,29], anti-inflammatory [24,27], and wound healing effects [30]. Due to their fat solubility, low molecular weight, and small size, the EOCs are able to pass through the skin, mucosa, and cell membranes and thus enter the systemic body circulation [13,24]. The following review article deals mainly with the in vitro virucidal and antiviral activity of EOs and some EOCs against enveloped (Table 1S, Supporting Information) and non-enveloped (Table 2S, Supporting Information) pathogenic human and animal viruses (Table 3S, Supporting Information), especially taking into account the data and results of the past 10 years.…”

“…Those EO-based formulations can decrease the volatility of EOs, improve their chemical stability, enhance their water solubility, bioavailabilty, and antiviral efficacy [149][150][151][152][153]. The possibility that nanoencapsulation of EOs will improve their therapeutic effectiveness is currently being discussed [24,150]. There are different nanocarriers available, such as polymer-based nanocarriers (nanocapsules/nanoparticles) or lipid-base nanocarriers (e.g., liposomes, lipid-nanoparticles, nanoemulsions) that can be designed in such a way that they possess desirable features for therapy [24,[149][150][151][152][153].…”

Ethnopharmacology and phytochemistry-based review on the antimalarial potential of Acacia pennata (L.) Willd.

“…quinine (alkaloid) and artemisinin (terpenoid) are examples of bioactive compounds that had been isolated from Cinchona officinalis and Artemesia annua respectively. [50][51][52][53] Thus, although A. pennata was reported to contain alkaloids and terpenoids, 17,18 quinine and artemisinin were never reported to be isolated from A. pennata. Still, the possibility of A. pennata as having its antimalarial phytochemicals cannot be completely ruled out.…”

Bactericidal And Antioxidant Effects of Domestic Essential Oils On Certain Pathogenic Bacteria.

“…Because extraction methods affect both the number of molecules in the EO and the stereochemical arrangement of those extracted molecules, extraction methods have an impact on the chemical pro le of the EO and how two EOs differ from one another. Because of their growing pharmacological presence, steam-distilled oils are preferred in the pharmaceutical industry (Paul et al 2020).…”