Essential Oils: Sources, Chemical Composition and Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Essential oils are a mixture of volatile compounds such as monoterpenes, such as limonene, alpha-pinene and linalool; sesquiterpenes, such as beta-caryophyllene and germacrene; alcohols; esters; ketones; and phenols, such as thymol and carvacrol. They are extracted from plants such as oregano, thyme, citrus, eucalyptus, rose geranium, rosemary, garlic, cloves and others. Their chemical composition can vary greatly depending on the plant or extraction method, such as steam distillation, cold pressing, or solvent extraction.

Research on essential oils has focused on their chemical characterization, biological activity and mode of action using advanced analytical techniques, such as gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, to identify and quantify the chemical constituents of essential oils.

They are used in a wide range of applications, such as perfumery, cosmetics, food flavouring and traditional medicine. In recent years, interest in essential oils and their application in food preservation has grown due to the increasingly negative consumer perception of synthetic preservatives as they come from renewable sources. Recent studies have also explored the potential due to their biological activities, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and insecticidal properties. There is also growing interest in the use of essential oils as disinfecting agents in cleaning-related products. However, further research is needed to understand the mechanisms of action and to optimize their use in different applications.

For this Special Issue, papers concerning the identification of new sources of essential oils; the development and optimisation of more efficient methods for the extraction of essential oils from plant sources, including steam distillation, solvent extraction and supercritical fluid extraction; experimental techniques that allow more accurate characterization of essential oils; optimization and new methods for quality control and sustainable production; and, above all, different applications in which essential oils can be used.

Dr. Jose Maria Vicaria
Prof. Dr. Encarnación Jurado Alameda
Guest Editors

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