AROMATIC MEDICINAL PLANTS AND ESSENTIAL OILS, SUCH AS CHEMO-FUNGI-MODULATING PROTECTORS AND DIETARY AGENTS

Abstract

PURPOSE: Nowadays, herbal medicine offers many solutions to deal with respiratory, viral and, bacterial infections. More and more people are turning to natural antioxidants, so finding new drugs is a current goal of health and medical researchers. Medicinal plants traditional to different regions of the world (Lavandula angustifolia Mill., Mentha piperita Lin., Rosa damascena Mill., Azadirachta indica (neem oil)) contain a wide variety of bioactive compounds that have proven beneficial effects on human health. There is ample evidence that polyphenols, flavonoids, and vitamins counteract and neutralize genetic and environmental stressors, especially oxidative stress, which is closely related to the initiation of many diseases. Here we review the possible uses of the aromatic medicinal plants cited above.