Chemistry of essential oils

Abstract

Essential oil, also defined as essence, volatile oil, etheric oil or aetheroleum, is a complex mixture of volatile constituents biosynthesised by living organisms. Essential oils can be liberated from their matrix by water, steam and dry distillation, or expression in the case of citrus fruits [1-5]. Their occurrence and function in nature is still a question and the subject of ongoing research. However, there is evidence that organisms produce essential oils for defence, signalling or as part of their secondary metabolism.As a consequence essential oils comprise an important bioresource for renewable natural products [1-25]