Am J Cancer Res. 2014 Nov 19;4(6):591-607. eCollection 2014.

Anticancer activity of essential oils and their chemical components - a review.

Bayala B¹, Bassole IH², Scifo R³, Gnoula C⁴, Morel L³, Lobaccaro JM³, Simpore J⁵.

Author information

¹Centre de Recherche Biomoléculaire Pietro Annigoni, Saint Camille-CERBA/LABIOGENE-Ouagadougou, Université de Ouagadougou 03 BP 7021 Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso ; Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, Génétique Reproduction et Développement F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France ; CNRS, UMR 6293, GReD F-63177 Aubière, France ; INSERM, UMR 1103, GReD F-63177 Aubière, France ; Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine d'Auvergne F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
²Laboratoire de biologie et écologie végétales, Unité de formation et de recherche en sciences de la vie et de la terre, Université de Ouagadougou 03 BP 7021 Ouagadougou 03 Burkina Faso.
³Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, Génétique Reproduction et Développement F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France ; CNRS, UMR 6293, GReD F-63177 Aubière, France ; INSERM, UMR 1103, GReD F-63177 Aubière, France ; Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine d'Auvergne F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
⁴Centre de Recherche Biomoléculaire Pietro Annigoni, Saint Camille-CERBA/LABIOGENE-Ouagadougou, Université de Ouagadougou 03 BP 7021 Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso ; Laboratoire de Pharmacologie, de Toxicologie et de Chimie Thérapeutique, UFR/SDS, Université de Ouagadougou 03 BP 7021 Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso.
⁵Centre de Recherche Biomoléculaire Pietro Annigoni, Saint Camille-CERBA/LABIOGENE-Ouagadougou, Université de Ouagadougou 03 BP 7021 Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso ; Centre Médical Saint Camille de Ouagadougou Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Abstract

Essential oils are widely used in pharmaceutical, sanitary, cosmetic, agriculture and food industries for their bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, antiparasitical and insecticidal properties. Their anticancer activity is well documented. Over a hundred essential oils from more than twenty plant families have been tested on more than twenty types of cancers in last past ten years. This review is focused on the activity of essential oils and their components on various types of cancers. For some of them the mechanisms involved in their anticancer activities have been carried out.