Review

. 2016 Sep 22;3(4):25.

doi: 10.3390/medicines3040025.

Essential Oils' Chemical Characterization and Investigation of Some Biological Activities: A Critical Review

Wissal Dhifi¹, Sana Bellili^{2

3}, Sabrine Jazi^{4

5}, Nada Bahloul^{6

7}, Wissem Mnif^{8

9}

Affiliations

¹ UR Ecophysiologie Environnementale et Procédés Agroalimentaires, Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Sidi Thabet, BiotechPole de Sidi Thabet, Université de la Manouba, Ariana 2020, Tunisia. wissal_d2002@yahoo.fr.
² LR11-ES31 Laboratory of Biotechnology and Valorisation of Bio-GeoRessources (BVBGR), Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Sidi Thabet (ISBST), Biotechpole Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, Ariana 2020, Tunisia. bel-sana@hotmail.fr.
³ Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Jarzouna-Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Carthage 7021, Tunisia. bel-sana@hotmail.fr.
⁴ LR11-ES31 Laboratory of Biotechnology and Valorisation of Bio-GeoRessources (BVBGR), Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Sidi Thabet (ISBST), Biotechpole Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, Ariana 2020, Tunisia. jazi.gb@gmail.com.
⁵ Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Jarzouna-Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Carthage 7021, Tunisia. jazi.gb@gmail.com.
⁶ LR11-ES31 Laboratory of Biotechnology and Valorisation of Bio-GeoRessources (BVBGR), Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Sidi Thabet (ISBST), Biotechpole Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, Ariana 2020, Tunisia. nada.bahloul@gmail.com.
⁷ Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Jarzouna-Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Carthage 7021, Tunisia. nada.bahloul@gmail.com.
⁸ Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Jarzouna-Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Carthage 7021, Tunisia. w_mnif@yahoo.fr.
⁹ Faculty of Sciences and Arts in Balgarn, PO BOX 60 Balgarn, University of Bisha, Sabt Al Alaya 61985, Saudi Arabia. w_mnif@yahoo.fr.

PMID: 28930135
PMCID: PMC5456241
DOI: 10.3390/medicines3040025

Review

Essential Oils' Chemical Characterization and Investigation of Some Biological Activities: A Critical Review

Wissal Dhifi et al. Medicines (Basel). 2016.

. 2016 Sep 22;3(4):25.

doi: 10.3390/medicines3040025.

Authors

Wissal Dhifi¹, Sana Bellili^{2

3}, Sabrine Jazi^{4

5}, Nada Bahloul^{6

7}, Wissem Mnif^{8

9}

Affiliations

¹ UR Ecophysiologie Environnementale et Procédés Agroalimentaires, Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Sidi Thabet, BiotechPole de Sidi Thabet, Université de la Manouba, Ariana 2020, Tunisia. wissal_d2002@yahoo.fr.
² LR11-ES31 Laboratory of Biotechnology and Valorisation of Bio-GeoRessources (BVBGR), Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Sidi Thabet (ISBST), Biotechpole Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, Ariana 2020, Tunisia. bel-sana@hotmail.fr.
³ Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Jarzouna-Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Carthage 7021, Tunisia. bel-sana@hotmail.fr.
⁴ LR11-ES31 Laboratory of Biotechnology and Valorisation of Bio-GeoRessources (BVBGR), Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Sidi Thabet (ISBST), Biotechpole Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, Ariana 2020, Tunisia. jazi.gb@gmail.com.
⁵ Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Jarzouna-Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Carthage 7021, Tunisia. jazi.gb@gmail.com.
⁶ LR11-ES31 Laboratory of Biotechnology and Valorisation of Bio-GeoRessources (BVBGR), Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Sidi Thabet (ISBST), Biotechpole Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, Ariana 2020, Tunisia. nada.bahloul@gmail.com.
⁷ Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Jarzouna-Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Carthage 7021, Tunisia. nada.bahloul@gmail.com.
⁸ Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Jarzouna-Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Carthage 7021, Tunisia. w_mnif@yahoo.fr.
⁹ Faculty of Sciences and Arts in Balgarn, PO BOX 60 Balgarn, University of Bisha, Sabt Al Alaya 61985, Saudi Arabia. w_mnif@yahoo.fr.

PMID: 28930135
PMCID: PMC5456241
DOI: 10.3390/medicines3040025

Abstract

This review covers literature data summarizing, on one hand, the chemistry of essential oils and, on the other hand, their most important activities. Essential oils, which are complex mixtures of volatile compounds particularly abundant in aromatic plants, are mainly composed of terpenes biogenerated by the mevalonate pathway. These volatile molecules include monoterpenes (hydrocarbon and oxygenated monoterpens), and also sesquiterpenes (hydrocarbon and oxygenated sesquiterpens). Furthermore, they contain phenolic compounds, which are derived via the shikimate pathway. Thanks to their chemical composition, essential oils possess numerous biological activities (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, etc…) of great interest in food and cosmetic industries, as well as in the human health field.

Keywords: biological activities; chemical composition; essential oils.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

**Figure 1**
Structures of some terpenes.

**Figure 2**
Biosynthesis pathways of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

1. Guenther E. The Essential Oils. D. Van Nostrand Company Inc.; New York, NY, USA: 1948. p. 427.
1. Association Française de Normalisation (AFNOR) Huiles Essentielles, Tome 2, Monographies Relatives Aux Huiles Essentielles. 6th ed. AFNOR, Association Française de Normalisation; Paris, France: 2000.
1. Carette Delacour A.S. Ph.D. Thesis. Université Lille 2; Lille, France: 2000. La Lavande et son Huile Essentielle.
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Essential Oils' Chemical Characterization and Investigation of Some Biological Activities: A Critical Review

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Essential Oils' Chemical Characterization and Investigation of Some Biological Activities: A Critical Review

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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