Health benefits of plant-derived essential oils in mitigating oxidative stress: a comprehensive review
2025
Faming Jiang | Xiaoyan Huang | Xingyin Chen | Yuanhua Xian
Oxidative stress is characterized by an imbalance between the generation of reactive oxygen species and the body’s capacity to neutralize or repair their harmful effects, potentially leading to cellular damage and various health issues. Essential oils (EOs), concentrated aromatic compounds extracted from plants, are commonly utilized in aromatherapy, skincare, natural remedies and food. Regarding their pharmacological activities and underlying mechanisms, the review explores the potential of EOs in mitigating oxidative stress, demonstrating significant relevance in various medical areas such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, hair loss, central nervous system disorders, depressive disorder, diabetes, inflammatory diseases, hyperthyroidism, sepsis, skincare, and stress syndrome. This review identifies the Lamiaceae and Apiaceae families as the two most promising botanical sources of essential oils with potent antioxidant activity for combating oxidative stress. Phenolic compounds, such as thymol and eugenol, cinnamaldehyde, rosmarinic acid may be the major active compounds contributing to their anti-oxidative stress capacities. Despite promising findings, significant gaps remain, including clinic studies, investigation into the synergistic roles of essential oils, their combinations with other materials, their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, and a better understanding of potential side effects from misuse, highlighting the need for further studies.
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