Geraniol, a Component of Plant Essential Oils–a Review of Its Pharmacological Activities

Essential oils are a mixture of volatile and natural substances, identified and characterized by the strong odor, produced by aromatic plants as secondary metabolites. Their metabolites have a wide range of applications and have been commercially important to the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries. One of the plants essential oil Geraniol, a monoterpene alcohol has the verity of pharmacological activities are reported in preclinical studies. Generally, monoterpenes are non nutritive dietary components found in the essential oils of citrus fruits and other plants. Geraniol has antibacterial, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, in vivo and in vitro anticancer against in leukemia, hepatoma, melanoma and pancreatic cancer cell lines, and activity on lipid metabolisms and Mevelonate metabolisms. In this review, article highlights the important pharmacological activities of plant essential oil geraniol.