Essential Oils’ Chemical Characterization and Investigation of Some Biological Activities: A Critical Review
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UR Ecophysiologie Environnementale et Procédés Agroalimentaires, Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Sidi Thabet, BiotechPole de Sidi Thabet, Université de la Manouba, Ariana 2020, Tunisia
2
LR11-ES31 Laboratory of Biotechnology and Valorisation of Bio-GeoRessources (BVBGR), Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Sidi Thabet (ISBST), Biotechpole Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, Ariana 2020, Tunisia
3
Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Jarzouna-Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Carthage 7021, Tunisia
4
Faculty of Sciences and Arts in Balgarn, PO BOX 60 Balgarn, University of Bisha, Sabt Al Alaya 61985, Saudi Arabia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editors: Lutfun Nahar, Norazah Basar and Satyajit D. Sarker
Medicines 2016, 3(4), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines3040025
Received: 2 March 2016 / Revised: 2 September 2016 / Accepted: 2 September 2016 / Published: 22 September 2016
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Essential Oils: Chemistry and Bioactivity)
This review covers literature data summarizing, on one hand, the chemistry of essential oils and, on the other hand, their most important activities. Essential oils, which are complex mixtures of volatile compounds particularly abundant in aromatic plants, are mainly composed of terpenes biogenerated by the mevalonate pathway. These volatile molecules include monoterpenes (hydrocarbon and oxygenated monoterpens), and also sesquiterpenes (hydrocarbon and oxygenated sesquiterpens). Furthermore, they contain phenolic compounds, which are derived via the shikimate pathway. Thanks to their chemical composition, essential oils possess numerous biological activities (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, etc…) of great interest in food and cosmetic industries, as well as in the human health field.
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Keywords:
essential oils; chemical composition; biological activities
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MDPI and ACS Style
Dhifi, W.; Bellili, S.; Jazi, S.; Bahloul, N.; Mnif, W. Essential Oils’ Chemical Characterization and Investigation of Some Biological Activities: A Critical Review. Medicines 2016, 3, 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines3040025
AMA Style
Dhifi W, Bellili S, Jazi S, Bahloul N, Mnif W. Essential Oils’ Chemical Characterization and Investigation of Some Biological Activities: A Critical Review. Medicines. 2016; 3(4):25. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines3040025
Chicago/Turabian StyleDhifi, Wissal; Bellili, Sana; Jazi, Sabrine; Bahloul, Nada; Mnif, Wissem. 2016. "Essential Oils’ Chemical Characterization and Investigation of Some Biological Activities: A Critical Review" Medicines 3, no. 4: 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines3040025
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