Review

Authors: Tzu-Kai Lin, Lily Zhong, Juan Luis Santiago...

Plant oils have been utilized for a variety of purposes throughout history, with their integration into foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products. They are now being increasingly recognized for their effects on both skin diseases and the restoration of cutaneous homeostasis. This article briefly reviews the available data on biological influences of topical skin applications of some plant oils (olive oil, olive pomace oil, sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, safflower seed oil, argan oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, avocado oil, borage oil, jojoba oil, oat oil, pomegranate seed oil, almond oil, bitter apricot oil, rose hip oil, German chamomile oil, and shea butter). Thus, it focuses on the therapeutic benefits of these plant oils according to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects on the skin, promotion of wound healing and repair of skin barrier.

Topics: Administration, Topical; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antioxidants; Humans; Plant Oils; Plants; Skin; Skin Aging; Wound Healing

PubMed: 29280987
DOI: 10.3390/ijms19010070

Review

Authors: Hercules Sakkas, Chrissanthy Papadopoulou

For centuries, plants have been used for a wide variety of purposes, from treating infectious diseases to food preservation and perfume production. Presently, the increasing resistance of microorganisms to currently used antimicrobials in combination with the appearance of emerging diseases requires the urgent development of new, more effective drugs. Plants, due to the large biological and structural diversity of their components, constitute a unique and renewable source for the discovery of new antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic compounds. In the present paper, the history, composition, and antimicrobial activities of the basil, oregano, and thyme essential oils are reviewed.

Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Bacteria; Fungi; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Ocimum; Ocimum basilicum; Oils, Volatile; Origanum; Plant Oils; Thymus Plant

PubMed: 27994215
DOI: 10.4014/jmb.1608.08024

Review

Authors: Mingke Tian, Yuchen Bai, Hongyu Tian...

With population and economic development increasing worldwide, the public is increasingly concerned with the health benefits and nutritional properties of vegetable oils (VOs). In this review, the chemical composition and health-promoting benefits of 39 kinds of VOs were selected and summarized using Web of Science as the main bibliographic databases. The characteristic chemical compositions were analyzed from fatty acid composition, tocols, phytosterols, squalene, carotenoids, phenolics, and phospholipids. Health benefits including antioxidant activity, prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, anti-cancer, diabetes treatment, and kidney and liver protection were examined according to the key components in representative VOs. Every type of vegetable oil has shown its own unique chemical composition with significant variation in each key component and thereby illustrated their own specific advantages and health effects. Therefore, different types of VOs can be selected to meet individual needs accordingly. For example, to prevent CVD, more unsaturated fatty acids and phytosterols should be supplied by consuming pomegranate seed oil, flaxseed oil, or rice bran oil, while coconut oil or perilla seed oil have higher contents of total phenolics and might be better choices for diabetics. Several oils such as olive oil, corn oil, cress oil, and rice bran oil were recommended for their abundant nutritional ingredients, but the intake of only one type of vegetable oil might have drawbacks. This review increases the comprehensive understanding of the correlation between health effects and the characteristic composition of VOs, and provides future trends towards their utilization for the general public's nutrition, balanced diet, and as a reference for disease prevention. Nevertheless, some VOs are in the early stages of research and lack enough reliable data and long-term or large consumption information of the effect on the human body, therefore further investigations will be needed for their health benefits.

Topics: Humans; Rice Bran Oil; Plant Oils; Corn Oil; Coconut Oil; Cardiovascular Diseases

PubMed: 37687222
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28176393

Review

Authors: Noura S Dosoky, William N Setzer

Members of the genus L. have been used in traditional medicine for centuries for treating gastrointestinal disorders, pain, inflammatory conditions, wounds, and for cancer prevention and antiaging, among others. Many of the biological activities of species can be attributed to nonvolatile curcuminoids, but these plants also produce volatile chemicals. Essential oils, in general, have shown numerous beneficial effects for health maintenance and treatment of diseases. Essential oils from spp., particularly , have demonstrated various health-related biological activities and several essential oil companies have recently marketed oils. This review summarizes the volatile components of various species, the biological activities of essential oils, and potential safety concerns of essential oils and their components.

Topics: Animals; Curcuma; Humans; Oils, Volatile; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Plant Oils; Plants, Medicinal

PubMed: 30200410
DOI: 10.3390/nu10091196

Authors: Klaus H Hoffmann

Topics: Agriculture; Animals; Humans; Insecticides; Oils, Volatile; Plant Oils; Plants; Secondary Metabolism

PubMed: 32609657
DOI: 10.1515/znc-2020-0124

Review

Authors: Marcos Flores, Carolina Saravia, Claudia E Vergara...

Avocado oil has generated growing interest among consumers due to its nutritional and technological characteristics, which is evidenced by an increase in the number of scientific articles that have been published on it. The purpose of the present research was to discuss the extraction methods, chemical composition, and various applications of avocado oil in the food and medicine industries. Our research was carried out through a systematic search in scientific databases. Even though there are no international regulations concerning the quality of avocado oil, some authors refer to the parameters used for olive oil, as stated by the Codex Alimentarius or the International Olive Oil Council. They indicate that the quality of avocado oil will depend on the quality and maturity of the fruit and the extraction technique in relation to temperature, solvents, and conservation. While the avocado fruit has been widely studied, there is a lack of knowledge about avocado oil and the potential health effects of consuming it. On the basis of the available data, avocado oil has established itself as an oil that has a very good nutritional value at low and high temperatures, with multiple technological applications that can be exploited for the benefit of its producers.

Topics: Antioxidants; Biotechnology; Food Contamination; Humans; Persea; Plant Oils

PubMed: 31185591
DOI: 10.3390/molecules24112172

Review

Authors: Siegfried Kasper, Walter E Müller, Hans-Peter Volz...

OBJECTIVES

Silexan is a lavender oil preparation available in 80-mg capsules. Here we review clinical trials investigating its anxiolytic efficacy, safety and tolerability in humans, as well as preclinical investigations supporting this therapeutic use.

METHODS

Besides three selected publications reporting preclinical investigations, seven clinical trials are included, of which five had a treatment duration of 6 or 10 weeks. Primary outcome measure was the HAM-A total score reduction, while single items were assessed with regard to effects on concomitant depressive symptoms and on quality of sleep.

RESULTS

In patients with subthreshold (subsyndromal) anxiety or generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), an anxiolytic effect of Silexan was evident after 2 weeks. HAM-A total score reductions between baseline and end of treatment were significantly superior to placebo in patients with subthreshold anxiety and comparable with those achieved under lorazepam or paroxetine in patients with GAD. In addition, Silexan had beneficial effects on typical concomitant symptoms of anxiety disorders, such as impaired sleep, somatic complaints, co-morbid depression or decreased quality of life. Except for mild gastrointestinal symptoms, Silexan did not induce any adverse effects and did not cause drug interactions, sedation or withdrawal symptoms at daily doses of 80 or 160 mg.

CONCLUSIONS

Silexan is a safe and effective treatment in anxiety disorders.

Topics: Anti-Anxiety Agents; Anxiety Disorders; Humans; Lavandula; Oils, Volatile; Phytotherapy; Plant Oils

PubMed: 28511598
DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2017.1331046

Review

Authors: Bernardo Frison Spiazzi, Ana Cláudia Duarte, Carolina Pires Zingano...

Recent data from meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) suggest that dietary intake of coconut oil, rich in saturated fatty acids, does not result in cardiometabolic benefits, nor in improvements in anthropometric, lipid, glycemic, and subclinical inflammation parameters. Nevertheless, its consumption has surged in recent years all over the world, a phenomenon which can possibly be explained by an increasing belief among health professionals that this oil is as healthy as, or perhaps even healthier than, other oils, in addition to social network misinformation spread. The objective of this review is to present nutritional and epidemiological aspects related to coconut oil, its relationship with metabolic and cardiovascular health, as well as possible hypotheses to explain its high rate of consumption, in spite of the most recent data regarding its actual effects.

Topics: Humans; Coconut Oil; Public Health; Fatty Acids; Risk Factors; Cardiovascular Diseases; Plant Oils; Dietary Fats

PubMed: 37364144
DOI: 10.20945/2359-3997000000641

Review

Authors: Parisa Bolouri, Robab Salami, Shaghayegh Kouhi...

Essential oils (EOs) and plant extracts are sources of beneficial chemical compounds that have potential applications in medicine, food, cosmetics, and the agriculture industry. Plant medicines were the only option for preventing and treating mankind's diseases for centuries. Therefore, plant products are fundamental sources for producing natural drugs. The extraction of the EOs is the first important step in preparing these compounds. Modern extraction methods are effective in the efficient development of these compounds. Moreover, the compounds extracted from plants have natural antimicrobial activity against many spoilage and disease-causing bacteria. Also, the use of plant compounds in cosmetics and hygiene products, in addition to their high marketability, has been helpful for many beauty problems. On the other hand, the agricultural industry has recently shifted more from conventional production systems to authenticated organic production systems, as consumers prefer products without any pesticide and herbicide residues, and certified organic products command higher prices. EOs and plant extracts can be utilized as ingredients in plant antipathogens, biopesticides, and bioherbicides for the agricultural sector. Considering the need and the importance of using EOs and plant extracts in pharmaceutical and other industries, this review paper outlines the different aspects of the applications of these compounds in various sectors.

Topics: Oils, Volatile; Plant Extracts; Antioxidants; Bacteria; Cosmetics; Plant Oils

PubMed: 36558132
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27248999

Review

Authors: B P Chumpitazi, G L Kearns, R J Shulman...

BACKGROUND

Peppermint oil has been used for centuries as a treatment for gastrointestinal ailments. It has been shown to have several effects on gastrointestinal physiology relevant to clinical care and management.

AIM

To review the literature on peppermint oil regarding its metabolism, effects on gastrointestinal physiology, clinical use and efficacy, and safety.

METHODS

We performed a PubMed literature search using the following terms individually or in combination: peppermint, peppermint oil, pharmacokinetics, menthol, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, gallbladder, colon, transit, dyspepsia, nausea, abdominal pain, and irritable bowel syndrome. Full manuscripts evaluating peppermint oil that were published through 15 July 2017 were reviewed. When evaluating therapeutic indications, only randomised clinical trials were included. References from selected manuscripts were used if relevant.

RESULTS

It appears that peppermint oil may have several mechanisms of action including: smooth muscle relaxation (via calcium channel blockade or direct enteric nervous system effects); visceral sensitivity modulation (via transient receptor potential cation channels); anti-microbial effects; anti-inflammatory activity; modulation of psychosocial distress. Peppermint oil has been found to affect oesophageal, gastric, small bowel, gall-bladder, and colonic physiology. It has been used to facilitate completion of colonoscopy and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Placebo controlled studies support its use in irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspepsia, childhood functional abdominal pain, and post-operative nausea. Few adverse effects have been reported in peppermint oil trials.

CONCLUSION

Peppermint oil is a natural product which affects physiology throughout the gastrointestinal tract, has been used successfully for several clinical disorders, and appears to have a good safety profile.

Topics: Abdominal Pain; Child; Dyspepsia; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Gastrointestinal Tract; Humans; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Mentha piperita; Plant Oils; Treatment Outcome

PubMed: 29372567
DOI: 10.1111/apt.14519