The significance of essential oils and their antifungal properties in the food industry: A systematic review
Zohreh Abdi-Moghadam,
Yeganeh Mazaheri,
Alieh Rezagholizade-shirvan,
Maryam Mahmoudzadeh,
Mansour Sarafraz,
Mahnaz Mohtashami,
Samira Shokri,
Ahmad Ghasemi,
Farshid Nickfar,
Majid Darroudi,
Hedayat Hossieni,
Zahra Hadian,
Ehsan Shamloo,
Zeinab Rezaei
Affiliations
Zohreh Abdi-Moghadam
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran
Yeganeh Mazaheri
Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Food Safety Division, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Alieh Rezagholizade-shirvan
Department of Food Science and Technology, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran
Maryam Mahmoudzadeh
Faculty of Nutrition and Food Science, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Mansour Sarafraz
School of Public Health, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
Mahnaz Mohtashami
Department of Biology, School of Basic Science, Neyshabur Branch, Islamic Azad University, Neyshabur, Iran
Samira Shokri
Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Food Safety Division, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Ahmad Ghasemi
Healthy Ageing Research Centre, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran
Farshid Nickfar
University of Applied Science and Technology, Center of Cheshme noshan khorasan (Alis), Iran
Majid Darroudi
Nuclear Medicine Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Hedayat Hossieni
Department of Food Science and Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Zahra Hadian
Research Department of Food Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Ehsan Shamloo
Department of Food Science and Technology, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran; Corresponding author.
Zeinab Rezaei
University of Applied Science and Technology, Center of Cheshme noshan khorasan (Alis), Iran; Corresponding author.
Essential oils (EOs) are natural products called volatile oils or aromatic and ethereal oils derived from various parts of plants. They possess antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, which offer natural protection against a variety of pathogens and spoilage microorganisms. Studies conducted in the last decade have demonstrated the unique applications of these compounds in the fields of the food industry, agriculture, and skin health. This systematic article provides a summary of recent data pertaining to the effectiveness of EOs and their constituents in combating fungal pathogens through diverse mechanisms. Antifungal investigations involving EOs were conducted on multiple academic platforms, including Google Scholar, Science Direct, Elsevier, Springer, Scopus, and PubMed, spanning from April 2000 to October 2023. Various combinations of keywords, such as “essential oil,” “volatile oils,” “antifungal,” and “Aspergillus species,” were used in the search. Numerous essential oils have demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo antifungal activity against different species of Aspergillus, including A. niger, A. flavus, A. parasiticus, A. fumigatus, and A. ochraceus. They have also exhibited efficacy against other fungal species, such as Penicillium species, Cladosporium, and Alternaria. The findings of this study offer novel insights into inhibitory pathways and suggest the potential of essential oils as promising agents with antifungal and anti-mycotoxigenic properties. These properties could make them viable alternatives to conventional preservatives, thereby enhancing the shelf life of various food products.
