Health Benefits and Pharmacological Properties of Carvone
Abdelhakim Bouyahya,
Hamza Mechchate,
Taoufiq Benali,
Rokia Ghchime,
Saoulajan Charfi,
Abdelaali Balahbib,
Pavel Burkov,
Mohammad Ali Shariati,
Jose M. Lorenzo,
Nasreddine El Omari
Affiliations
Abdelhakim Bouyahya
Laboratory of Human Pathologies Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, and Genomic Center of Human Pathologies, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat 10106, Morocco
Hamza Mechchate
Laboratory of Biotechnology, Environment, Agri-Food, and Health (LBEAS), Faculty of Sciences, University Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah (USMBA), Fez B.P. 1796, Morocco
Taoufiq Benali
Environment and Health Team, Polydisciplinary Faculty of Safi, Cadi Ayyad University, Sidi Bouzid B.P. 4162, Morocco
Rokia Ghchime
Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Hospital of Specialities, Ibn Sina University Hospital, Rabat B.P 6527, Morocco
Saoulajan Charfi
Laboratory of Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Tetouan B.P. 2117, Morocco
Abdelaali Balahbib
Laboratory of Biodiversity, Ecology and Genome, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University, Rabat 10106, Morocco
Pavel Burkov
South Ural State Agrarian University, 13 Gagarina St., 457100 Troitsk, Russia
Mohammad Ali Shariati
Research Department, K.G. Razumovsky Moscow State University of Technologies and Management (The First Cossack University), 73, Zemlyanoy Val St., 109004 Moscow, Russia
Jose M. Lorenzo
Centro Tecnológico de la Carne de Galicia, Rúa Galicia Nº 4, Parque Tecnológico de Galicia, San Cibrao das Viñas, 32900 Ourense, Spain
Nasreddine El Omari
Laboratory of Histology, Embryology, and Cytogenetic, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat 10100, Morocco
Carvone is a monoterpene ketone contained in the essential oils of several aromatic and medicinal plants of the Lamiaceae and Asteraceae families. From aromatic plants, this monoterpene is secreted at different concentrations depending on the species, the parts used, and the extraction methods. Currently, pharmacological investigations showed that carvone exhibits multiple pharmacological properties such as antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antineuraminidase, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. These studies were carried out in vitro and in vivo and involved a great deal of knowledge on the mechanisms of action. Indeed, the antimicrobial effects are related to the action of carvone on the cell membrane and to ultrastructural changes, while the anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer effects involve the action on cellular and molecular targets such as inducing of apoptosis, autophagy, and senescence. With its multiple mechanisms, carvone can be considered as natural compounds to develop therapeutic drugs. However, other investigations regarding its precise mechanisms of action as well as its acute and chronic toxicities are needed to validate its applications. Therefore, this review discusses the principal studies investigating the pharmacological properties of carvone, and the mechanism of action underlying some of these properties. Moreover, further investigations of major pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic studies were also suggested.
