Abstract

Plant extracts constitute an essential source of organic substances, known as plant metabolites, of immense interest to the food and pharmaceutical industries. Promising new applications of plant extracts as natural preservatives in the food industry, pharmaceutical industry, and cosmetics are under development. The main ingredient groups present in plant extracts are essential oils and polyphenols. Both have found use as food additives with divergent functions; food and feed supplements with interest in human or animal nutrition; and plant protection products. Numerous studies highlight their antimicrobial activities. Recently, there has been considerable emphasis on studies involving essential oils and extract ingredients to inhibit pathogenic microorganisms’ growth. They have demonstrated that these compounds also possess potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and antiviral agents. Plant extracts are currently the subject of intensive scientific research and attract the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries’ attention due to their potential as pharmacologically active ingredients or natural preservatives.