Abstract
Acorus calamus Linn, sweet flag (Araceae family), is commonly used as a traditional medicine as well as against a number of invertebrate pests, including stored grain insects. Essential oil, an aromatic and volatile liquid, can be extracted from sweet flag. The chemicals in sweet flag oils are secondary metabolites, which play an important role in food preservation as they possess insecticidal and antimicrobial properties. Furthermore, food-borne diseases are a growing public health problem worldwide, calling for more effective preservation strategies. The antibacterial antifungal properties of sweet flag oil and their constituents have been documented extensively. Sweet flag oils have potential for developing into natural insecticide for food preservation. The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of current knowledge about the insecticidal and antimicrobial properties and the mode of action of sweet flag oils, to identify research avenues that can facilitate implementation of sweet flag oils as a natural preservative in food.
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