Functional roles of Essential oils as an effective alternative of synthetic food preservatives: A review

According to the definition given in literature, essential oils (EOs) are defined as an aromatic volatile fraction isolated from different parts of plants such as leaves, fruits, bark etc using different extraction processes. They are synthesized by all plant parts and are principally complex mixture of terpenes and their oxygenated derivatives. Due to their antimicrobial properties, now they are representing an interesting source of natural antimicrobials for food preservation. The side effects caused by synthetic preservatives have pushed the scientific community to find an alternative that covers the same antimicrobial efficacies without affecting the organoleptic properties of food products and supports the trend of green consumerism. In this search, essential oils became a potent candidate in food preservation and now-a-days, play momentous role in food preservation. This review noticeably focuses on the applications of EOs as food preservatives along with the current prospects and limitations.