<b>Essential oils as Therapeutics</b>

Abstract

Essential oils are the volatile secondary plant metabolites, which mainly consist of terpenoids and benzenoids. Research in the later half of 20th century has revealed that many curative properties attributed to various plants in indigenous medicine are also present in their essential oils. These oils exert a number of general effects from the pharmacological viewpoint. When applied locally, the essential oils mix readily with skin oils, allowing these to attack the infective agents quickly and actively. Therapeutic properties of various essential oils based on folklore, experiences and claims of aromatherapists and scientific studies have been summarised in this review. <i>In vitro</i> studies conducted by the author on antimicrobial and anthelmintic properties of some essential oils have also been discussed.