Department of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Norwida 25, 50-375 Wrocław, Poland.
Department of Fermentation and Cereals Technology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Chełmońskiego 37/41, 51-630 Wrocław, Poland.
Molecules. 2019 Jun 5;24(11):2130. doi: 10.3390/molecules24112130.
Herbs and the essential oils derived from them have been used from the beginning of human history for different purposes. Their beneficial properties have been applied to mask unpleasant odors, attract the attention of other people, add flavor and aroma properties to prepared dishes, perfumes, and cosmetics, etc. Herbs and essential oils (EOs) have also been used in medicine because of their biological properties, such as larvicidal action, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, antioxidant, fungicide, and antitumor activities, and many more. Many EOs exhibit antimicrobial properties, which is extremely important in fields of science and industry, such as medicine, agriculture, or cosmetology. Among the 250 EOs which are commercially available, about a dozen possess high antimicrobial potential. According to available papers and patents, EOs seem to be a potential alternative to synthetic compounds, especially because of the resistance that has been increasingly developed by pathogenic microorganisms. In this review we summarize the latest research studies about the most-active EOs that are known and used because of their antimicrobial properties. Finally, it is noteworthy that the antimicrobial activities of EOs are not preeminent for all strains. Further investigations should, thus, focus on targeting EOs and microorganisms.
从人类历史的开端，草药及其从中提取的精油就被用于各种目的。其有益特性被应用于掩盖难闻的气味、吸引他人注意、为准备好的菜肴、香水和化妆品等添加味道和香气特性。由于其生物特性，如杀幼虫作用、镇痛和抗炎特性、抗氧化、杀菌和抗肿瘤活性等，草药和精油 (EO) 也在医学中得到应用。在科学和工业领域，如医学、农业或化妆品，许多精油都表现出抗菌特性，这一点极其重要。在 250 种商业上可获得的精油中，约有十几种具有高抗菌潜力。根据现有的论文和专利，精油似乎是合成化合物的潜在替代品，尤其是因为致病微生物的抗药性越来越强。在这篇综述中，我们总结了关于具有抗菌特性而被人们认识和使用的最有效精油的最新研究。最后，值得注意的是，精油的抗菌活性并非对所有菌株都优越。因此，进一步的研究应该集中在针对精油和微生物上。
