Antioxidant and Antiseptic Properties of Volatile Oils from Different Medicinal Plants: A Review

Abstract

The use of preservatives is increasingly common in the food industry. The extension of the term of validity of the food products, as well as the preservation of their appearance for a longer period, is an increasingly common condition among food processors. Unfortunately, most synthetic preservatives are used, omitting the use of natural preservatives. The antiseptic potential of essential oils from different medicinal plants may be a natural alternative to the synthetic preservatives used. The daily stress that surrounds us produces in the human body a significant amount of free radicals that over time affect our health. To eliminate these free radicals we need antioxidants from the outside. A very good variant of consumption of these antioxidants is directly through the food we consume. Medicinal plants have a high content of antioxidants, and their use in our diet as volatile oils can be a solution. This review includes published articles on the antioxidant and antiseptic properties of essential oils from different medicinal plants. We classified the plants according to their properties and highlighted the most important compounds that they have.