ABSTRACT
Nowadays, there is a wealth of information available related to the biological activities of EOs and their components, which are the starting point for the development of many commercial products. The chemical characteristics and physiological properties of extracellular matrices, such as those of the extracellular polysaccharide secreted post-induction cell/surface, are dependent on the nature of the resident bacteria. Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria have revealed different auto inducers and their control could be used to regulate biofilm development. The determination of the enantiomeric composition in EOs is important when using them as antibacterial compounds. Although monoterpene alcohols also have a hydroxyl group, they have a lower antibacterial activity than phenols. From the information obtained in the bibliography, the success of the antibacterial activity of the EOs would be based on its great molecular diversity. Hydrocarbons, ketones, aldehydes, alcohols and aromatic structures like phenols, going to a higher level of diversification for the stereochemistry of these molecules.
