Recent updates on the chemistry, bioactivities, mode of action, and industrial applications of plant essential oils

Background Since time immemorial, natural active compounds including essential oils (EOs) and their components have been used due to their flavor and fragrance. Out of 3000 known varieties, 300 are commercially utilized for the food and pharmaceutical industries. Scope and approach In recent years, studies on EOs have enormously increased owing to their remarkable biological activities and health benefits. As a result, their pharmacological attributes have played an immense role to identify natural and safe alternative therapeutics to extend their industrial applications. Key findings and conclusions: This review covers the sources and composition of EOs, recent progress in their extraction methods, factors affecting their quality and yield, their most important activities, such as antioxidant and antimicrobial activities as well as their mechanisms of action. Besides, the importance of EOs in food, biomedicine, and agricultural industries is also highlighted. For the food industrial applications, we mainly aimed at the incorporation of EOs as such or as nanoemulsions into active or smart packaging with a particular emphasis on the food preservation and shelf-life extension of food products.