What to Know about Essential Oils (Natural Products and Therapeutics)

Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with hypertension standing out as one of the most relevant risk factors. As such, in this compilation, an update on the hypotensive and vasorelaxant effects of essential oils and isolated compounds is presented. The authors determine the chemical constituents and evaluate the anti-pain properties of essential oils from Thuja plicata var. The chemical composition, antimicrobial activity and mosquito larvicidal action of essential oils from the leaves, pseudo-stem, rhizome and fruits of Alpinia malaccensis grown in Vietnam is also discussed. Essential oils are explored in the context of their ethnobotanical survey in the treatment of one or more gastrointestinal troubles. The medicinal benefits of lemon, lavender and peppermint essential oils are described. Further research should be performed to discover more uses for these oils so that we can gain the most benefit from use. Later, the medicinal uses of essential oils from ancient times to the present are highlighted, particularly their mosquito repellent activities, toxicity and side effects. The in vitro and in vivo pharmacological activities of Jasminum grandiflorum are assessed, and current insights are provided with regards to clinical efficacy and safety. A critical overview is provided focusing on the diverse roles of the most abundant compounds in essential oil samples as determinants of the influence of impact notes and biological activities, calling for genuine and reproducible characterisation of such dominant compounds. In the penultimate chapter, an integrated summary of the authors' experimental findings from an analysis of the community of fluorescent Pseudomonas strains in the rhizosphere of commercially grown Mentha piperita is presented.