Open research questions in Essential Oils and Antimicrobial Activity

What the literature leaves open

• The growing concern of antimicrobial resistance has created a need for novel and effective antimicrobial agents. There is a need to explore the application of natural compounds as antimicrobial agents in food production settings.

  Antibacterial properties of medicinal plant extracts against antibiotic resistant organisms isolated from an abattoir in Lagos state · 2026 · DOI

• Methodological incongruities and lack of standardized protocols. Differences in in vitro microbiological assays, strain-specific susceptibility profiles, incubation time, EO solubilization protocol, and EO stability during the assay period. Chemical profiles of EOs and their intraspecific variation.

  Essential Oils of Lamiaceae Species as Promising Sources of Antimycobacterial Agents: Current Insights, Challenges, and Future Perspectives · 2026 · DOI

• Development of active novel therapeutic strategies to mitigate the occurrence of MDR strains. Investigation of synergistic interactions between EOs/volatile constituents and antibiotics/antimicrobial chemotherapeutic agents. Standardization of protocols for in vitro microbiological assays.

  Essential Oils of Lamiaceae Species as Promising Sources of Antimycobacterial Agents: Current Insights, Challenges, and Future Perspectives · 2026 · DOI

• limited number of biological replicates, - analyses were considered exploratory, - sample sizes were limited, - non-parametric analyses were performed due to non-normality of datasets

  Carvacrol exhibits potent anti-Klebsiella activity, whereas the multicomponent composition of essential oils may contribute to their enhanced antibacterial activity · 2026 · DOI

• The need for complementary antimicrobial strategies against multidrug-resistant Klebsiella infections. The limited understanding of the antibacterial effects of essential oils beyond their predominant constituents.

  Carvacrol exhibits potent anti-Klebsiella activity, whereas the multicomponent composition of essential oils may contribute to their enhanced antibacterial activity · 2026 · DOI

• The accumulation patterns of bioactive compounds in Ormosia henryi Prain, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, remain poorly understood, limiting its potential for development.

  Tissue-specific partitioning of flavonoids and phenolic acids coordinates bioactivities in Ormosia henryi Prain · 2025 · DOI

• However, their therapeutic potential is limited by their low solubility and potency.

  Chemical Characterization, Cytotoxic Activity, and Antimicrobial Potential of Nanoemulsions Based on Cymbopogon citratus Essential Oils · 2025 · DOI

• While numerous reviews have documented the general properties of mint EOs, a systematic and critical synthesis of recent advances linking chemotypic diversity to biosynthetic mechanisms and evidence-based health benefits remains lacking.

  Mentha Essential Oils: Unraveling Chemotype-Dependent Biosynthesis and Assessing Evidence for Health-Promoting Activities · 2025 · DOI

• Although in vitro and in vivo studies support their therapeutic potential, clinical trials assessing long-term efficacy and safety remain scarce.

  Medicinal Plants Against Dental Caries: Research and Application of Their Antibacterial Properties · 2025 · DOI

• To date, very few studies have been conducted worldwide about its genetic diversity.

  Genetic diversity, essential oil’s chemical constituents of aromatic plant Mesosphaerum suaveolens (L.) Kuntze Syn. Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit. and its uses in crop protection: a review · 2024 · DOI

• lentiscus essential oils (PO) are limited by their low solubility, poor bioavailability, and high volatility.

  Antimicrobial Activities of Pistacia lentiscus Essential Oils Nanoencapsulated into Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrins · 2024 · DOI

• Pharmacological studies, including in vitro and in vivo research, alongside a limited number of clinical trials, have investigated extracts of Thymus serpyllum , although these extracts are often phytochemically poorly characterized in different experimental protocols and models.

  Wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum L.): a review of the current evidence of nutritional and preventive health benefits* · 2024 · DOI

• This review at the interface of nutritional/preventive health properties and as pharmacological activities highlights the current role of wild thyme in nutrition and general healthcare as well as its future potential, and also points to important gaps in the literature.

  Wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum L.): a review of the current evidence of nutritional and preventive health benefits* · 2024 · DOI

• This level of production has not been previously reported in a limited number of previous studies.

  Highly Efficient Verbascoside Production from Olive (Olea europea L. var. Cellina di Nardò) In Vitro Cell Cultures · 2024 · DOI

• As the mechanisms of action of argan oil are not completely understood, this work highlighted the benefits of this oil by analyzing its nutritional properties and its beneficial effects on the intestinal and skin microbiotas.

  The Importance of Argan Oil in Medicine and Cosmetology · 2024 · DOI

• From the research data, and despite the fact that human clinical trials and detailed methodological studies are scarce, V.

  The Acacia (Vachellia nilotica (L.) P.J.H. Hurter & Mabb.): Traditional Uses and Recent Advances on Its Pharmacological Attributes and Potential Activities · 2024 · DOI

• Despite potential for synergistic effects from plant-derived compounds, a further investigation into is essential to fully understand their role and mechanisms of action, for developing effective delivery systems, and for assessing environmental sustainability in controlling Salmonella in poultry production.

  Mitigation Potential of Herbal Extracts and Constituent Bioactive Compounds on Salmonella in Meat-Type Poultry · 2024 · DOI

• While its essential oils (EOs) are well investigated, there are no reports on the volatiles from their corresponding hydrolates, which are the main by-products of EO isolation, as well as on their biological activity.

  Volatiles from French and Croatian Sea Fennel Ecotypes: Chemical Profiles and the Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Antiageing Activity of Essential Oils and Hydrolates · 2024 · DOI

• 3%) are common constituents of CLEO, which prompted further research on antibacterial and antibiofilm properties.

  Citrus limon Essential Oil: Chemical Composition and Selected Biological Properties Focusing on the Antimicrobial (In Vitro, In Situ), Antibiofilm, Insecticidal Activity and Preservative Effect against Salmonella enterica Inoculated in Carrot · 2024 · DOI

• There is a need for more sustainable and environmentally friendly pest management practices. The use of plant-based products for pest management is a relatively new area of research.

  Chemical composition and phytotoxicity of Eucalyptus parvula (Hill & Johnson) and Melaleuca alternifolia (Cheel) essential oils grown in Tuscany, Italy · 2026 · DOI

• To translate this potential into field−relevant applications and to better connect phytochemical diversity with agroecosystem outcomes, future work should investigate the contribution and possible synergistic interactions of individual compounds, as well as formulation and delivery strategies, and assessments of selectivity and non−target effects (including crops, beneficial organisms, and soil biota).

  Chemical composition and phytotoxicity of Eucalyptus parvula (Hill & Johnson) and Melaleuca alternifolia (Cheel) essential oils grown in Tuscany, Italy · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of knowledge on the seasonal variation of essential oil quantity and quality in Bay Laurel leaves. The study aims to fill this gap by investigating the essential oil yield and composition at different harvest times. The research gap has implications for the optimization of harvest strategies for medicinal and industrial purposes.

  Seasonal Variation of Essential Oil Quantity and Quality in Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) Leaves from Montenegro · 2026 · DOI

• Formulation optimization for enhanced stability and efficacy of the essential oils has not been explored; studies examining emulsification, encapsulation, or nanoparticle delivery systems for these oils are needed to improve their practical application in food preservation and topical therapeutics.

  GC-MS analysis and evaluation of antibacterial activities of essential oils from Cymbopogon citratus and Artemisia dubia using in vitro and in silico approaches · 2026 · DOI

• The mechanism of action by which the identified phytoconstituents inhibit bacterial growth remains elucidated; molecular studies investigating specific protein/enzyme targets and cellular pathways disrupted by these essential oil constituents are required.

  GC-MS analysis and evaluation of antibacterial activities of essential oils from Cymbopogon citratus and Artemisia dubia using in vitro and in silico approaches · 2026 · DOI

• There is a need to investigate the chemical composition and antimicrobial properties of Thymus longicaulis subsp. longicaulis. The study aims to fill this gap by determining the chemical composition and in vitro antimicrobial activity of Thymus longicaulis subsp. longicaulis plant extracts and essential oil.

  Determination of Chemical Composition and In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Thymus longicaulis subsp. longicaulis Plant Extracts and Essential Oil · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Essential Oils and Antimicrobial Activity

• Terpenes and terpenoids as main bioactive compounds of essential oils, their roles in human health and potential application as natural food preservatives · Food Chemistry X · 2022 · 853 citations
• Essential Oils and Their Major Components: An Updated Review on Antimicrobial Activities, Mechanism of Action and Their Potential Application in the Food Industry · Foods · 2022 · 456 citations
• Antibacterial Effects of Flavonoids and Their Structure-Activity Relationship Study: A Comparative Interpretation · Molecules · 2022 · 448 citations
• Antimicrobial activities of commercial essential oils and their components against food‐borne pathogens and food spoilage bacteria · Food Science & Nutrition · 2014 · 264 citations
• Encapsulation of essential oils and their application in antimicrobial active packaging · Food Control · 2022 · 252 citations
• Phenolic-Rich Plant Extracts With Antimicrobial Activity: An Alternative to Food Preservatives and Biocides? · Frontiers in Microbiology · 2022 · 225 citations
• Evaluation of Thymus vulgaris and Thymbra spicata essential oils and plant extracts for chemical composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties · Food Science & Nutrition · 2019 · 188 citations
• Medicinal plants: bioactive compounds, biological activities, combating multidrug-resistant microorganisms, and human health benefits - a comprehensive review · Frontiers in Immunology · 2025 · 181 citations
• AUSTRALIA'S SOUTHEASTERN BONAPARTE BASIN HAS PLENTY OF POTENTIAL · Oil & gas journal/Oil and gas journal · 1997 · 175 citations
• The antimicrobial activity of essential oils and essential oil components towards oral bacteria · Oral Microbiology and Immunology · 1994 · 171 citations

Most recent work

• Essential oils as nature-engineered antifungals: a comprehensive review of pharmacological mechanisms, drug synergism, and advanced formulation strategies · Frontiers in Pharmacology · 2026
• Thymol: properties, synthesis, mechanism of action, and applications · Frontiers in Nutrition · 2026
• Effects of α-terpineol and 1,8-cineole from Cinnamomum longepaniculatum on serum inflammatory cytokine factor and cecal microbial diversity of growing meat rabbits · Frontiers in Veterinary Science · 2026
• Seasonal Variation of Essential Oil Quantity and Quality in Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) Leaves from Montenegro · Plants · 2026
• CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, ANTIMICROBIAL AND MOSQUITO LARVICIDAL ACTIVITIES OF THE ESSENTIAL OIL OF CHLORANTHUS ERECTUS COLLECTED IN VIETNAM · Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Chemia · 2026
• Antimicrobial and anticancer evaluation of Juniperus chinensis seed oil with molecular docking of α-cedrol–AKT1 · Acta chimica slovenica · 2026
• Antibacterial activity of hydroethanolic leaf extracts of Allium ursinum before and after flowering against selected foodassociated bacteria · Acta Biologica Szegediensis · 2026
• Development of a nanoemulsion containing essential oil from Eugenia caryophyllus and evaluation in vitro and in silico of its antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against Streptococcus mutans · Odontology · 2026
• Characterization of cold-pressed oils extracted from seeds of different Capsicum species · Food Production Processing and Nutrition · 2026
• Sustainable Applications of Thymol: Advances in Formulation Technologies, Drug Delivery Systems, and Food Preservation Strategies · Food Science & Nutrition · 2026

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