Lavender essential oils as natural food protectants: myth or a viable substitute?

Abstract

The widespread application of synthetic pesticides for food preservation and crop protection is a significant concern for both environmental sustainability and public health. Past and recent studies conducted worldwide revealed that botanical pesticides based on essential oils (EOs) have been developed against pests and pathogens deteriorating food commodities under both storage and field conditions. While EO-based botanical pesticides are less widely available, they offer considerable potential for managing pathogens and insects that affect food crops. The genus Lavandula also known as Lavender is one of the most important genera of the family Lamiaceae, comprising over 39 accepted species and many varieties distributed across the Iberian Peninsula, the Mediterranean coastline, parts of Southern & Eastern Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. Lavandula species can potentially be used in the food and pharmaceutical industries as medicinal herbs. The genus is known for its abundance of EOs, which exhibit high variability in chemical constituents between species owing to various extrinsic (geographical origin) and intrinsic (genetic variation) factors. Despite broad scientific interest in the bioprospection of Lavandula species, there is a general lack of information regarding the use of Lavandula EOs (LEOs) in protection of food commodities/crops from harmful organisms. The objectives of this paper were to systematically review the scientific literature on the efficacy of LEOs against pathogens and pests deteriorating food commodities/crops under both storage and field conditions. Besides, studies on chemical analysis of LEOs originating from different countries and recommendations for their use as an alternative to synthetic pesticides in food protection are described. We also discussed the challenges in the use of LEOs and safety assessments so that they can be used as safe botanical pesticides in food systems.