ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the bioactive potential of sesquiterpenes and their derivatives, assesses their antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory potential, and elucidates in vitro and in vivo research conducted to identify the potential of these natural compounds. The antioxidant mechanisms that fit this definition include the scavenging of reactive species, inactivation of peroxides and other oxygen species, chelation of metals, and quenching of secondary lipid oxidation products. Cancer is a severe multifactorial disease characterized by genetic mutations and alterations where the cell growth and proliferation occur uncontrollably and is related as one principal cause of mortality around the world. Antimicrobials are natural or synthetic substances that act on microorganisms by inhibiting their growth or causing their destruction. Inflammation is a biological response to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, physical injuries, or cell damage, generating a combination of heat, redness, swelling, and pain in a local area as physical symptoms.
