The Chemistry, Bioactivity and Analysis of Essential Oils: Applications for Foods, Drugs and Cosmetics

Dear Colleagues,

Essential Oils (EOs) are complex mixtures of volatile compounds found in plant structures, giving them their characteristic odour. They are intimately involved in vital processes within the plant, performing very important functions. They play a defensive role, act as insect repellents and microbial inhibitors and attract pollinating insects.

EOs are extracted for food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications due to their unique odour characteristics and proven antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

Many herbs and spices (e.g., black cumin, cloves, cinnamon, thyme, rosemary, etc.) have been studied for their content of important EOs. In other plant species, such as citrus fruits, hemp, rose, garlic, onion, pepper, peppermint, vanilla and lavender, different parts, such as the fruits, leaves, roots, bark and seeds, are used for the extraction of EOs. EOs are generally obtained by steam distillation, although those from the citrus genus are mechanically extracted.

Numerous studies have reported that EOs possess a wide range of bioactivities, and these activities have been attributed to some specific constituents. Research interest in EOs continues to grow with the identification of new molecular targets and the development of new screening methods. Therefore, analytical techniques to study the chemistry of essential oils are evolving accordingly.

This Special Issue will be a collection of original research articles and critical reviews on the different chemical and bioactivity properties of essential oils from the whole plant kingdom.

From a chemical perspective, topics related to advances in new and past extraction methods, with particular attention to technologies, and essential oil analysis are encouraged.

From a biological point of view, studies that explore the routes by which these oils or some of their individual components exert their bioactive actions for human or plant purposes are recommended, rather than studies dealing only with the antioxidant properties of essential oils.

Articles in this Special Issue should be of relevance to a wide international readership and meet all the normal requirements for publication in Molecules.

Dr. Bruna Laratta
Dr. Domenico Cautela
Dr. Francesco Siano
Guest Editors

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• essential oils
• volatile compounds
• bioactivity
• extraction methods
• innovative and conventional techniques
• natural food preservatives
• industrial application