ABSTRACT
In aromatherapy (an alternative and complementary therapy), essential oils (EOs) are used to cure a wide range of health conditions that are not fully controlled by the conventional therapy. Out of 3,000-reported EOs, nearly 300 compounds have been found important in pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries, and household use. Chemical studies have revealed that terpenoids, aromatic, and aliphatic compounds are major components of EOs, and they are characterized as low-molecular-weight aroma chemicals. Pharmacological and clinical studies have proved that EOs have a wide range of therapeutic potentials in combating the microbial infections, inflammatory, and cancerous diseases, and many more. Review in this chapter embodies the historical perspective of Aromatherapy, its categories, and various applications of the EOs. It also highlights the toxicological aspects of EOs for its safer use in human health care. All the information was reviewed from the printed books as well as electronic databases like Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, library search, etc. using different search keywords. Article selection was restricted by using the keywords “aromatherapy” or “essential oil” and sometimes with either of these words; the connector ‘AND’ was used for the following phrases: traditional healing, medicinal value of EOs, its chemistry, pharmacology, toxicity, safety, etc. Finally, the review has been concluded with a brief discussion on the present status and future prospect of essential oil research and its implications on human health care.
