Essential Oils and Biodegradable Packaging Materials: Application on Food Preservations

Essential oils are concentrated hydrophobic oily liquid substances extracted from different plant organs. The most common source of essential oils are clove, lavender, cinnamon, lemon grass, coriander, rosewood, cumin, ginger, oregano etc. Essential oils are a good source of several bioactive compounds and serve as antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds. In addition, essential oils have been used as natural additives for the shelf-life extension of food products, due to the risk in using synthetic preservatives. Furthermore, essential oils can be incorporated into packaging materials to prevent unavoidable microbial spoilage, and to extend shelf-life of the product. The extraction method of essential oil is most important because inappropriate extraction may damage the chemical properties. Essential oil can be extracted by several methods such as distillation, steam distillation, expression, and solvent extraction. This review article covers up the essential oil including sources, chemical composition, extraction process, antimicrobial activity of EOs, and their applications, particularly with the emphasis on preservation and the shelf-life extension of food products.