Essential Oils and Their Applications: A Mini Review

Abstract

Richard Ansah Herman, Ellen Ayepa, Saidi Shittu, Sandra Senyo Fometu, Jun Wang

The wellbeing and sustenance of food amid its preparation, transport and storage are requirements for present day food handling. Essential oils (EOs) are important aromatic components of herbs and spices and their biological activities have been known and utilized since ancient times in perfumery, food preservation, flavoring, and medicine. The antimicrobial activities of essential oils clearly indicates that, they are more acceptable because of their unique antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. This review paper focuses on essential oils and their applications by employing essential oils as a natural preservative that are suitable to be used in food preservation, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and among other industries. So far as factors which are responsible for food spoilage and other health related problems are still in existence, there is the need to develop sustained preservation and public health relief techniques. The recent advances in the application and alternative means of fruits and food decay, especially natural products as preservatives for fruits, essential oils as a drug as well as their antimicrobial scavenging characteristics will be reviewed. Other applications in the food, cosmetic and pharmacological industries, will also be conferred.

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