Essential oils from <i>Eucalyptus</i> species: a review of their activities, applications, and the Brazilian market

Rodrigues, Mayara; Mazzafera, Paulo

doi:10.1590/1677-941X-ABB-2024-0111

Figures (3)
Tables (3)

Figure 1. Synthesis of volatile terpenes (highlighted in yellow) through the mevalonate (MVA) pathway in the cytosol and the methylerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway in the plastid. The MVA pathway gives rise to sesquiterpenes, while the MEP pathway gives rise to monoterpenes. There is the export of isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) from the plastid to the cytosol, with solid arrows indicating well-established steps and the dashed arrow representing hypothetical reactions. Enzymes in blue are located in the peroxisome, and those in red are in the endoplasmic reticulum. Abbreviations: AACT, acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase; HMGS, HMG-CoA synthase; HMG-CoA, hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA; HMGR, HMG-CoA reductase; MVK, mevalonate kinase; MVP, mevalonate 5-phosphate; PMK, phosphomevalonate kinase; MVPP, mevalonate 5-pyrophosphate; MPDC, mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase; IPP, isopentenyl pyrophosphate; IDI, isopentenyl pyrophosphate isomerase; DMAPP, dimethylallyl pyrophosphate; FPPS, FPP synthase; FPP, farnesyl pyrophosphate; TPS, terpene synthase; G3P, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate; DXS, DXP synthase; DXP, 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate; DXR, 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase; MCT, 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate cytidylyltransferase; CDP-ME, 4-diphosphocytidyl-2-C-methyl-D-erythritol; CMK, 4-(cytidine 5'-diphospho)-2-C-methyl-D-erythritol kinase; CDP-MEP, CDPME 2-phosphate; MECPS, MECPD synthase; MECDP, 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate; HDS, 4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl diphosphate synthase; HMBPP, (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl diphosphate; IDS, isopentenyl diphosphate synthase; GGPPS, GGPP synthase; GGPP, geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate; GPPS, GPPS synthase; GPP, geranyl pyrophosphate. Source: Adapted from Dudareva et al. (2013).

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Figure 2. Quantities and values of exported essential oils (A) and imported essential oils (B) in Brazil. FOB: “Free On Board,” total price of the goods at the point of shipment, excluding transportation and insurance costs after that point. Source: Comex Stat

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Figure 3. Quantities and values of eucalyptus essential oils (EOs) exported (A) and imported (B) in Brazil. FOB: “Free On Board,” total price of the goods at the point of shipment, excluding transportation and insurance costs after that point. Source: Comex Stat

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Table 1. Primary uses of the studied Eucalyptus species

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Table 2. Biological effects of the essential oils of different Eucalyptus species, described in the literature.

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Table 3. Biological activities described in the literature for constituents of eucalyptus EOs.

Species	Purpose
Eucalyptus camaldulensis	Flowers for honey production Sawmill, sleepers, charcoal, posts, stakes, and firewood
Eucalyptus dunnii	Firewood, civil construction (shores), sawmilling/lamination, posts/stakes/posts, cellulose and paper
Eucalyptus exserta	Heavy, hard, and durable wood, useful in constructions
Eucalyptus globulus	Essential oil
Eucalyptus grandis	Firewood, civil construction (shores), sawmilling/lamination, posts/stakes/posts, cellulose and paper
Corymbia henryi	Flowers for honey production, wood for constructions and tool handles
Eucalyptus pellita	Flowers for honey production Wood for constructions and structures
Eucalyptus resinifera	Sawmill, mobile constructions, crates, sleepers, posts, and stakes
Eucalyptus saligna	Firewood, civil construction (shores), sawmilling/lamination, posts/stakes/posts, cellulose and paper, furniture, structures, crates, charcoal
Eucalyptus urophylla	Firewood, charcoal, civil construction (shores), sawmilling/lamination, posts/stakes/posts, Flowers for honey production

Effect	Reference
Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh
Activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria	(Salem et al., 2015)
Inhibition of the growth of fungi Alternaria alternata and Chaetomium globosum in commercial wood	(Salem et al., 2016)
Antibacterial against Bacillus subtilis, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Yersinia enterocolitica, Salmonella Paratyphi, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella typhimurium, Vibrio vulnificus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa	(Debbarma et al., 2013)
Repellent against Sitophilus zeamais	(Karemu et al., 2013)
Antibacterial against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and *Escherichia coli* Antifungal against Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus solani Antioxidant for linoleic acid	(Ghaffar et al., 2015)
Insecticide against Ectomielois ceratoniae	(Jemâa et al., 2013)
Insecticide against Callosobruchus maculatus, Sitophilus oryzae and Tribolium castaneum	(Negahban & Moharramipour, 2007)
Antibacterial against Acinetobacter baumannii isolates	(Knezevic et al., 2016)
Inhibition of germination and growth of invasive species Amaranthus hybridus L. and Portulaca oleracea L.	(Verdeguer et al., 2009)
Antibacterial Against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 Moderate antibacterial effect against Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853	(Tine et al., 2022)
Antibacterial against Bacillus cereus, Citrobacter diversus, Klebsiella oxytoca, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, Shigella flexneri Antifungal against Aspergillus clavatus, Candida albicans, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Lenzites sulphureus, Myrothecium verrucaria, Penicillium citrinum, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Phaeolus schweintizii, Trametes versicolor, Trichoderma viride Acaricidal against Varroa destructor Insecticidal against Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, Atta sexdens rubropilosa, Ephestia cautela, Ephestia kuehniella, Pediculus humanus capitis, Thyrinteina arnobia	(Barbosa et al., 2016)
Herbicide against Erigeron bonariensis L.	(Verdeguer et al., 2020a)
Eucalyptus dunnii Maiden
Repellent and insecticide against Sitophilus zeamais	(Mossi et al., 2011)
Insecticide against Aedes aegypti, Blattella germanica, Pediculus humanus capitis	(Barbosa et al., 2016)
Eucalyptus exserta F.Muell
Inhibition of gram-negative bacteria Salmonella enteritidis	(Ambrosio et al., 2017)
Fumigant against Tribolium castaneum	(Li & Xu, 2012)
Fungicide against Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger	(Oanh & Giang, 2017)
Eucalyptus globulus Labill
Activity against larvae and pupae of Musca domestica	(Kumar et al., 2012)
Termiticidal activity against termites Odontotermes assamensis	(Pandey et al., 2012)
Repellent against Sitophilus zeamais	(Karemu et al., 2013)
Potential control of dental plaque by Streptococcus mutans	(Goldbeck et al., 2014)
Antibacterial against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli Antifungal against Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus solani Antioxidant for linoleic acid	(Ghaffar et al., 2015)
Insecticide and ovicide against Pediculus humanus capitis	(Yones et al., 2016)
Antibacterial against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Shigella spp. And *Pseudomonas aeruginosa* *Antifungal against Trichophyton* spp1 and Aspergillus spp**	(Mekonnen et al., 2016)
Antioxidant - radical-scavenging properties and ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation Antibacterial - synergistic effect between the oil and conventional antibiotics against Acinetobacter baumannii	(Luís et al., 2016)
Antibacterial against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa	(Pombal et al., 2014)
Antibacterial against *Staphylococcus aureus* Wound healing in rats	(Sugumar et al., 2014)
Repellent and insecticide against Sitophilus zeamais	(Mossi et al., 2011)
Antimicrobial against multidrug-resistant bacteria	(Mulyaningsih et al., 2011)
Strong antimicrobial, especially against Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae	(Damjanović-Vratnica et al., 2011)
Antibacterial against gram-negative periodontopathogenic bacteria, mainly Fusobacterium nucleatum ATCC25586 and Porphyromonas gingivalis ATCC33277	(Harkat-Madouri et al., 2015)
Insecticide against Triboliu confusum (oil extracted from young leaves had a better effect compared to oil from mature leaves)	(Russo et al., 2015)
Inhibition of germination and development of invasive plants Amaranthus blitoides and Cynodon dactylon	(Rassaeifar et al., 2013)
Antioxidant through the reduction of metal ions that perpetuate the formation of free radicals, induce lipid peroxidation, and consequently disrupt the homeostatic balance of human cells	(Salem et al., 2018)
Antibacterial against Bacillus cereus, Citrobacter diversus, Enterococcus faecalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Klebsiella oxytoca, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Pseudomonas **fluorescens, Salmonella paratyphi, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus intermedius, Staphylococcus sciuri, Staphylococcus warneri** Antifungal against Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus, Aspergillus spp., Candida albicans, Fusarium oxysporum, Mucor spp., Penicillium digitatum, Rhizopus nigricans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae Acaricidal against Boophilus microplus Insecticidal against Aedes aegypti, Lutzomyia longipalpis, Sitophilus oryzae, Tribolium castaneum	(Barbosa et al., 2016)
Inhibition of growth of gram-positive against Sthaphylococcus aureus, gram-negative Proteus vulgaris and Escherichia coli, and the fungus Candida albicans.	(Mota et al., 2015)
Anti-influenza A activity	(Vimalanathan & Hudson, 2014)
Acaricidal and repellent activity against Rhipicephalus bursa	(Madreseh-Ghahfarokhi et al., 2019)
Activates Complement Receptor-Mediated Phagocytosis and Stimulates Podosome Formation in Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophages	Zonfrillo et al., 2022
Eucalyptus grandis W.Hill ex Maiden
Antibacterial against e Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739), Psuedomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 19582), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538), Streptococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212), Bacillus cereus (ATCC 10702), Bacillus Pumilus (ATCC 14884), Psuedomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 7700), Enterobacter cloacae (ATCC 13047), Klebsiella pneumonia (ATCC 10031), Bacillus subtilis (KZN), Shigella flexineri (KZN), Salmonella spp. (KZN), Staphylococcus epidermidis (KZN) and Enterococcus faecalis (KZN) Antibacterial against antibiotic-resistant species: Staphylococcus aureus (P12702/ P12763/ P12724/ B10808), Streptococcus viridans (S17141), Klebsiella spp. (S17302) and Klebsiella pneumonia (S17298)	(Sewanu et al., 2012)
Antibacterial against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC6538, Escherichia coli ATCC8739, Escherichia coli 0:158 and Salmonella choleraeseus ATCC10708	(Estanislau et al., 2001)
Larvicidal against Aedes aegypti	(Gallon et al., 2020)
Antifungal against Aspergillus clavatus, Aspergillus niger, Chaetomium globosum, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Lenzites sulphureus, Myrothecium verrucaria, Penicillium citrinum, Phaeolus schweintizii, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Trametes versicolor, Trichoderma *viride* Insecticidal gainst Aedes aegypti , Atta sexdens rubropilosa, Blattella gainsta, Pediculus humanus capitis, Thyrinteina arnobia	(Barbosa et al., 2016)
Eucalyptus pellita F.Muell
Antibacterial against strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis	(Proenza et al., 2013)
Antibacterial against Streptococcus sobrinus and Streptococcus mutans, causative agents of dental caries	(Kartiko et al., 2021)
Eucalyptus resinifera Sm
Fumigant and larvicidal against Aedes aegypti	(Lucia et al., 2012)
Insecticidal against Rhyzopertha dominica (more toxic to insects than the commercial insecticide pirimiphos-methyl)	(Filomeno et al., 2020)
Fumigant and repellent against Hypothenemus hampei	(Reyes et al., 2019)
Insecticidal against Haematobia irritans	(Barbosa et al., 2016)
Eucalyptus saligna Sm
Repellent against Sitophilus zeamais	(Karemu et al., 2013)
Repellent and insecticidal against Sitophilus zeamais	(Mossi et al., 2011)
Antimicrobial against bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and fungi Candida albicans and Phytophthora cactorium	(Sartorelli et al., 2007)
Insecticidal and repellent against Sitophilus zeamais and Tribolium confusum in grain storage	(Tapondjou et al., 2005)
Antibacterial against Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Citrobacter diversus, Klebsiella oxytoca, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella *choleraesuis* Insecticidal against Aedes aegypti, Atta sexdens rubropilosa , Pediculus humanus capitis, Thyrinteina arnobia	(Barbosa et al., 2016)
Potential antimicrobial against gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and yeast Candida *albicans* Cytotoxicity against tumor cell lines Calu-3 and 3T3	(Saulle, 2018)
Antibacterial against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC6538, Escherichia coli ATCC8739, Escherichia coli 0:158 and Salmonella choleraeseus ATCC10708	(Estanislau et al., 2001)
Fumigant and repellent against pest insects Callosobruchus chinensis and Sitophilus zeamais	(Bett et al., 2013)
Insecticidal and repellent against stored grain pests (Tribolium castaneum, Acanthoscelides obtectus, Sitotroga cerealella and Sitophilus zeamais)	(Bett et al., 2016)
Eucalyptus urophylla S.T.Blake
Larvicide and repellent against Culex quinquefasciatus, the filariasis vector mosquito	(Pujiarti & Kasmudjo, 2016)
Antibacterial against Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, Klebsiella pneumoniae Antifungal against Aspergillus clavatus, Aspergillus niger, Chaetomium globosum, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Lenzites sulphureus, Myrothecium verrucaria, Penicillium citrinum, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Phaeolus schweintizii, Trametes versicolor, Trichoderma viride Insecticidal against Atta sexdens rubropilosa, Thyrinteina arnobia Herbicidal against Lactuca sativa	(Barbosa et al., 2016)

Constituent	Effect	Reference
Eucalyptol	Antimicrobial Antibacterial Repellent against Sitophilus zeamais Mosquito repellency, antitumor properties in rats, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activity Proven fumigant in various insect species (Pediculus humanus capitis, Rhodnius prolixus, Musca domestica, Sitophilus oryzae, Tribolium castaneum, Rhzopertha dominica, Haematobia irritans, Blattella germanica and Aedes aegypti) Termiticide against termites Odontotermes assamensis May inhibit viral replication of SARS-CoV-2 Attenuates viral pulmonary inflammatory responses Cross-protection against influenza virus	(Salem et al., 2015) (Debbarma et al., 2013) (Golestani et al., 2015) (Karemu et al., 2013) (Mekonnen et al., 2016) (Mulyaningsih et al., 2011) (Lucia et al., 2012) (Alzogaray et al., 2011) (Pandey et al., 2012) (Li et al., 2016) (Li et al., 2017)
Spathulenol	Possible antioxidant activity	(Salem et al., 2015)
α-Terpineol	Antibacterial against Staphylococcus aureus Cardiovascular and anti-hypertensive effects Antioxidant Antinociceptive activity Anti-ulcer activity Anticonvulsant and sedative activities Chemical enhancer for skin penetration Insecticide	(Salem et al., 2015) (Khaleel et al., 2018)
p-Cymene	Antibacterial Termiticide against termites Odontotermes assamensis Fumigant against Blattella germanica (1^st instar nymph) Industrial solvent in paints and varnishes and in the production of synthetic resins Anti-inflammatory activity	(Cantore et al., 2009) (Fratini et al., 2014) (Salem et al., 2015) (Pandey et al., 2012) (Alzogaray et al., 2011) (Filomeno et al., 2016) (Chen et al., 2014) (Zhong et al., 2013)
O - Cymene	Fungicide against Botrytis cinerea	(Camele et al., 2012)
Limonene	Antibacterial Repellent against Sitophilus zeamais	(Cantore et al., 2009) (Salem et al., 2015) (Karemu et al., 2013)
D-Limonene	Anticancer effect against colon cancer cells (LS174T) (Apoptosis via akt pathway inactivation)	(Jia et al., 2013)
α-Pinene	Repellent against Sitophilus zeamais Antibacterial Termiticide against Odontotermes assamensis termites Fumigant against Blattella germanica (1^st instar nymph) Capable of inhibiting respiratory and ion transport processes, compromising cellular integrity. Larvicide against Aedes aegypti	(Karemu et al., 2013) (Cantore et al., 2009) (Golestani et al., 2015) (Mekonnen et al., 2016) (Pandey et al., 2012) (Alzogaray et al., 2011) (Filomeno et al., 2016) (Gallon et al., 2020)
ꞵ-Pinene	Antibacterial Repellent against Sitophilus zeamais Capable of inhibiting respiratory and ion transport processes, compromising cellular integrity. Larvicide against Aedes aegypti Fungicide against Botrytis cinerea	(Cantore et al., 2009) (Salem et al., 2015) (Golestani et al., 2015) (Karemu et al., 2013) (Filomeno et al., 2016) (Pavela, 2015) (Camele et al., 2012)
4-terpineol	Anticancer activity through cell death and inhibition of aggressive tumor cell growth - Murine mesothelioma (AE17), melanoma cells (B16-F10), and fibroblasts (L929) Termiticide against termites Odontotermes assamensis Cytotoxic effect against cancer cells	(Greay et al., 2010) (Pandey et al., 2012) (Döll-Boscardin et al., 2012)
Aromadendrene	Antibacterial	(Salem et al., 2015) (Mulyaningsih et al., 2011)
Geranyl acetate	Termiticide against Odontotermes assamensis Antibacterial	(Pandey et al., 2012) (Cantore et al., 2009)
Isoborneol	Termiticide against Odontotermes assamensis	(Pandey et al., 2012)
α-Phellandrene	Fungicide against Botrytis cinérea	(Camele et al., 2012)
Camphene	Fungicide against Botrytis cinérea	(Camele et al., 2012)
ꞵ-Myrcene	Food additive Analgesic, sedative, antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anticancer effects	(Surendran et al., 2021)
Viridiflorol	Cytotoxic and apoptotic activity in three different cancer cell lines (brain, breast, and lung) Potential anti-arthritic, antinociceptive, and anti-hyperalgesic properties	(Akiel et al., 2022) (Balsalobre et al., 2023)

[TFN1] Source: (Ferreira, 1979; CABI, 2019a; b; Embrapa, 2022)

Essential oils from Eucalyptus species: a review of their activities, applications, and the Brazilian market