Essential oil biological activity

The focus of the work of many of the articles published in the last 10 years by researchers in the field of essential oil biological activity is on the activity to inhibit microorganisms. Over a third (out of 220) of the articles obtained from a recent literature search dealt with antimicrobial activity, either against bacteria or fungi or both. Essential oil activity for the inhibition of bacteria and/or fungi was determined, usually followed by an investigation of the activity of the individual components. Sometimes the activities associated with the essential oils from various plant varieties, with different amounts of constituents, were compared. 

Industrial Crops and Products. 1992- Amsterdam Elsevier (0926-6690). Online ScienceDirect. Focuses on the development, production, harvesting, storage, and processing of nonfood crops for industrial uses, including applications of pharmaceuticals, lubricants, fuels, fibers, essential oils, biologically active materials, and uses for industrial crop... 

Hemiterpenes, by definition, consist of only one isopentane unit and are, thus, the simplest members of terpenoids. The basic building blocks of isoprenoids, namely IPP and DMAPP, must be universally present in green plants, being the progenitors of the phytyl side chain of chlorophyll, which is essential for biological activity (Sect. 8.1.4). These do not appear to be accumulated by plants (3), though the related prenyl alcohol (3,3-dimethylallyl alcohol, 9) and its isomer isoprene alcohol (10) have been found to occur in a few essential oils (229). Isoprene (11) itself is an important emittant of pine forests (165). 

Cold-pressed essential oils from the peel are some of the most important by-products recovered during the processing of Citrus fruits. The presence of limonene in the aqueous discharges, with its antimicrobial activity [1], decreases the effectiveness of the waste treatment system and increases the time necessary for the biological breakdown of the organic matter produced in the peel oil recovery system [2,3]. Additional recovery of essential oils from waste water would increase industry s returns and reduce the pollution problems associated with the disposal of waste water [4,5]. Several methods for reducing the levels of residual essential oils in the aqueous effluent have been developed over the years [6-11]. 

Analgesic activity. Fruit essential oil, administered externally to adults, was active. Biological activity reported has been pa-... 

Some volatile iridoid monoterpenes with biological activity are also found in essential oils and in insect pheromonal and defensive substances. Eisner ( ) found that 17 species of insects were repelled by the iridoid monoterpene nepetalactone. Lacewings (Chrysopa septempunctata) are attracted by the leaves and fruits of Actinidia polyqama (Actinidiaceae) which contain a series of volatile iridoid monoterpenes (67). 

In addition to its role as an intermediate in cholesterol biosynthesis, isopentenyl pyrophosphate is the activated precursor of a huge array of biomolecules with diverse biological roles (Fig. 21-48). They include vitamins A, E, and K plant pigments such as carotene and the phytol chain of chlorophyll natural rubber many essential oils (such as the fragrant principles of lemon oil, eucalyptus, and musk) insect juvenile hormone, which controls metamorphosis dolichols, which serve as lipid-soluble carriers in complex polysaccharide synthesis and ubiquinone and plastoquinone, electron carriers in mitochondria and chloroplasts. Collectively, these molecules are called isoprenoids. More than... 

Tellez, M.R., Dayan, F.E., Schrader, K.K., Wedge, D.E., Duke, S.O. Composition and some biological activities of the essential oil of Callicarpa americana L. J Agric Food Chem 2000 48 3008-3012. 

The essential oil of A. conyzoides and their biological activities on related pathogens... 

Biavati, B., R. Piccaglia and M. Marotti, Biological Activity of Essential Oils, Agroindustria 2, 95-97 (2003). 

Clove bud oil has various biological activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant and insecticidal properties. The high level of eugenol present in the essential oil imparts strong biological and antimicrobial activity. 

Chaieb, K., Hajlaoui, H., Zmantar, T., Kahla-Nakbi, A.B., Rouabhia, M., Mahdouani, K. and Bakhrouf, A. (2007) The chemical composition and biological activity of clove essential oil, Eugenia caryophyllata (Syzigium aromaticum L. Myrtaceae) a short review. Phytotherapy Research 21, 501 -506. 

The MEP pathway is the starting material of major plant terpenoids of economic value e.g., monoterpenes from essential oils, diterpenoids with potent biologic activity (taxol, ginkgolides), vitamins (tocopherol), or vitamin precursors (carotenoids). The first attempts to overexpress some of its genes (especially dxs or dxr) led to enhanced carotenoid production in tomato (18) or monoterpenes in mint (19). 

ABSTRACT Monoterpenoids are the components of essential oils, which are produced and accumulated, in large amounts by plants from certain families, including Labiatae, Pinaceae, Cupressaceae, Umbelliferae and Rutaceae. They are of special interest because of their industrial applications and on account of their chemical properties and biological activity. Monoterpenic composition can be useful in genetic and chemotaxonomic studies of coniferous species. 

Since the importance of sesquiterpenes, sesquiterpene lactones and flavonoids from the chemosystematic and the biological point of views, especially the chemistry and the biological activities of these compounds will be reviewed in this chapter, while the essential oils and the acetylenic compounds will not be mentioned. 

In the search for new plant-derived biologically active compounds against malarial parasites, five essential oils extracted from the Cameroonian plants... 

Essential Oil Bearing Plants from Kenya Chemistry, Biological Activity and Applications... 

The present chapter discusses the research on the chemistry and biological activities of essential oils indigenous or introduced into Kenya over a period of... 

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