Abstract
Herbs and spices have been used since ancient times to improve the sensory characteristics of food, to act as preservatives and for their nutritional and healthy properties. Herbs and spices are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) and are excellent substitutes for chemical additives. Essential oils are mixtures of volatile compounds obtained, mainly by steam distillation, from medicinal and aromatic plants. They are an alternative to synthetic additives for the food industry, and they have gained attention as potential sources for natural food preservatives due to the growing interest in the development of safe, effective, natural food preservation. Lamiaceae is one of the most important families in the production of essential oils with antioxidants and antimicrobial properties. Aromatic plants are rich in essential oils and are mainly found in the Mediterranean region, where the production of such oils is a profitable source of ecological and economic development. The use of essential oils with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties to increase the shelf life of food is a promising technology, and the essential oils of the Lamiaceae family, such as rosemary, thyme, and sage, have been extensively studied with respect to their use as food preservatives. Regarding the new applications of essential oils, this review gives an overview of the current knowledge and recent trends in the use of these oils from aromatic plants as antimicrobials and antioxidants in foods, as well as their biological activities, future potential, and challenges.
Highlights
New preferences for a minimum of processed food and recent changes in consumers’ concern about synthetic preservatives [1] have led to an increase in the use of natural preservatives in foods [2].Plant extracts have been employed by humans for thousands of years in traditional medicine.The Lamiaceae family contains important aromatic plants used in traditional and modern medicine and in the food and pharmaceutical industries
This review describes the biological activities of EOs from the Lamiaceae family, primarily the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of essential oils and the structure–activity relationships and mechanisms of action of their active components
The demand for essential oils from medicinal plants has increased in recent years, especially in the case of oil from rosemary, which is used as a natural food preservative
Summary
New preferences for a minimum of processed food and recent changes in consumers’ concern about synthetic preservatives [1] have led to an increase in the use of natural preservatives in foods [2]. The main components of common essential oils can be classified into two structural families with respect to hydrocarbon skeleton: terpenoids, formed by the combination of two (monoterpene), three (sesquiterpene) or four (diterpene) isoprene units, and phenylpropanoids Both terpenoid and phenylpropanoid families comprise phenolic compounds, sometimes identified as principal components of several EOs. Plants synthesize essential oils for a variety of purposes, including protection of the plant against fungi and bacteria, allelopathic activity, defence against insects (terpenoids are known to repel animals and insects) and attraction of pollinators and dispersal agents to favour the dispersion of seeds and pollens (the aromas and scents of the plants are responsible for the attraction of insects by the essential oils, characterized by volatility and a strong odour). An overview will be provided of other preventive and therapeutic properties of EOs, such as anti-angiogenic and anti-tumour properties
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