Bioactive Properties of Essential Oils in Nutritional Applications
Summary
Essential oils, complex mixtures of volatile phytochemicals extracted from aromatic plants, have attracted considerable attention for their multifaceted roles in nutrition. Their predominant constituents—terpenoids, phenolic compounds and aldehydes—exhibit potent antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities, making them suitable for functional foods, dietary supplements and food-preservation systems. In nutritional matrices, these oils can delay lipid peroxidation, inhibit growth of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, modulate digestive enzyme activity and influence energy metabolism. Advances in microencapsulation and nano-delivery have addressed challenges of volatility, stability and organoleptic impact, improving bioavailability and controlled release in the gastrointestinal tract. The integration of essential oils into food products offers dual benefits: enhancement of sensory attributes and extension of shelf life, while contributing to consumer health through reduction of oxidative stress and support for metabolic homeostasis. Safety profiles, consumer acceptability and regulatory considerations remain critical for widescale adoption.
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Bioactive Properties of Essential Oils in Nutritional Applications publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in bioactive properties of essential oils in nutritional applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Phytochemical: Bioactive chemical compound produced by plants, often conferring health benefits when ingested.
Terpenoid: Oxygen-containing derivative of terpenes, abundant in essential oils and responsible for antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.
Antioxidant capacity: Measure of a substance’s ability to scavenge free radicals and prevent oxidative damage in biological or food systems.
Encapsulation: Technique of enclosing active compounds within a protective matrix to enhance stability, mask flavour and control release.
References
- Unraveling the Variability of Essential Oil Composition in Different Accessions of Bunium persicum Collected from Different Temperate Micro-Climates. Molecules (2023).
- Effect of Thymus vulgaris and Bunium persicum essential oils on the oxidative stability of virgin olive oil. Grasas y Aceites (2016).
- Antiobesity Effect of Caraway Extract on Overweight and Obese Women: A Randomized, Triple‐Blind, Placebo‐Controlled Clinical Trial. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2013).
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