ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the properties of essential oils and their increasing use in both food industry and medicine, to Essential oils (EOs) toxicological profile, and to new controlled delivery systems developed to overcome some issues related to EOs physicochemical properties and reported toxicological effects. Since EOs represent a “green” alternative to foodstuff, pharmaceutical, medical, cosmetic, perfume, and agriculture industries, there are great efforts in order to overcome some physicochemical and toxicological related issues, such as their high sensitivity to oxygen, light, temperature and pH, high lipophilicity, and some toxicity reported. EOs have been increasingly integrated in numerous in vitro and in vivo assays in order to further investigate their physicochemical properties, biological activities, mechanisms of action, and toxicological profile. Although complicated taking into account the huge variability in EOs’ composition and the affecting environmental factors, it remains relevant to do a toxicity profiling for each known EO or at least for selected major isolated constituents.
