Antimicrobial, antifungal and insecticidal investigations on essential oils ó An overview

There is increasing interest both in the industry and in the scientific research for aromatic and medicinal plants because of their potential applications in medicine and plant disease control measures. The antimicrobial, antifungal and insecticidal properties of plant essential oils are well established against wide spectra of organisms such as fungi, bacteria and insects. These properties are mainly due to many active phytochemicals including vitamins, flavanoids, terpenoids, carotenoids, coumarins, curcumines, etc. and hence, they are of great importance in food industry and offer the possibility to substitute natural for synthetic preservatives and other products.