A review on chemistry and biological activities of Laurus nobilis L. essential oil

Abstract

Laurus nobilis L. commonly known as bay belonging to the family Lauraceae is one of the most useful essential oil and is an industrial plant used in foods, drugs and cosmetics. Bay is cultivated throughout the world mainly in tropical and sub-tropical Asia, Australia, Pacific region and South Asia. Bay essential oil can be extracted from various parts of plant and chiefly consisted of 1, 8 Cineole, sabinene, α-pinene and p-Cymene. Due to presence of various chemical constituents in bay, various biological and pharmacological properties have been reported such as antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, insecticidal and nematicidal activities. This review highlighted chemical composition and biological activities of Laurus nobilis which will be useful to the researcher for further study.