Natural Monoterpenes: Much More than Only a Scent

Abstract

Terpenes are a widespread group of secondary metabolites that can be found in various family plants such as the Lamiaceae. In view of their numerous valuable biological activities, the industrial production of concrete terpenes and essential oils rich in the substances is intensively studied. Monoterpenes constitute a significant part of the whole group of the aforementioned secondary metabolites. This is due to their numerous biological activities and their ability to permeate the skin. Despite the fact that these substances have gain popularity, they are not comprehensively characterized. The presented review is based on studies of the biological activities of the most important monoterpenes and the essential oils rich in these compounds. The authors focused attention on antioxidant activity, inhibition towards acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase, and α-amylase and α-glucosidase, antifungal, hepatoprotective, sedative properties, and their skin permeation enhancement.

Keywords: antioxidant activity; enzyme inhibition; hepatoprotective activity; monoterpene; skin permeation.