Essential oils are complex mixtures of compounds produced in aromatic plants. They are volatile, mostly colourless liquids with strong odour. The use of essential oils in the treatment of diseases dates back to the past and has been passed from generation to generation. Today it is known as aromatherapy. Although numerous studies have been done, the exact mechanisms of action of essential oils or their constituents are largely unknown. In this work, we studied the selected essential oils of the rue family (Rutaceae), rose family (Rosaceae) and sandalwood family (Santalaceae) by the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method. We identified and quantified the compounds in essential oils. We focused on differences in the composition of essential oils, depending on the geographical location and the species of the plant. In the second part of the master's thesis, we studied data on the activity of essential oils based on in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies, and data on the activity of individual compound in order to determine the compounds which may be responsible for the activity of essential oils. Using the GC-MS method, it has been found that the majority of essential oils contain two to three main components in concentrations higher than 10 %. The other compounds are present in lower concentration and are very diverse. The content of the compounds in the plant may vary according to the plant origin and the species of the plant. Most of the studied essential oils have antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. In the damask rose essential oils and sandalwood essential oils we found the most various effects. Depending on the concentrations of certain compounds in essential oils and on the data about the activity of the compounds, it can be concluded that the effects of essential oils are probably a consequence of the synergistic or antagonistic effects of individual compounds. In most cases, the activity is associated to several compounds in an essential oil or no connections were found between the effects of an essential oil and compounds. Therefore, we can not deduce the effect of an essential oil based on the content of certain compounds. In the future, additional research, especially clinical, should be made to enable safe therapeutic use.
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