An Updated Review on Essential Oils from Lauraceae Plants: Chemical Composition and Genetic Characteristics of...

Globally, plant-derived natural products such as essential oils serve as primary sources of functional substances for spices, pharmaceuticals, and other applications. With the increasing focus on health and well-being, alongside ongoing public health challenges, there is a critical need to enhance the deep utilization of natural plant products. Lauraceae family essential oils, characterized by their aromatic, volatile properties and notable biological activities (e.g., antibacterial, antioxidant, insect-repellent), hold significant application value across fragrance, cosmetics, chemical industries, biological pesticides, and medicine. Integrating multi-disciplinary data from biology, genomics, metabolomics, and related fields can accelerate comprehensive insights into the biosynthesis mechanisms and functional roles of these essential oils, thereby promoting the development and application of Lauraceae natural products. This review systematically summarizes the accumulation patterns and compositional characteristics of essential oils across diverse genera of Lauraceae. It further explores the evolutionary dynamics of terpene synthase (TPS) gene families and key genes involved in terpenoid biosynthesis pathways, leveraging genomic datasets from Lauraceae species. Finally, the review highlights future research trends for optimizing Lauraceae essential oil resource utilization and advancing molecular breeding of high-oil-content species within the family.