A Review on Antifungal Activity of Plant Essential Oils

Fungal infections pose a significant threat to human health, crop production, and food safety. Concurrently, traditional antifungal drugs face challenges such as increasing drug resistance and adverse side effects, creating an urgent need for safer and more efficient therapeutic alternatives. Although significant progress has been made in researching the antifungal activity of plant essential oils (PEOs) in recent years, existing literature primarily focuses on the antifungal effects of individual essential oils (EOs) or their constituents, lacking systematic exploration and summarization of active components, mechanisms of action, and application approaches. Therefore, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the sources of PEOs, their antifungal activities, antifungal active components, mechanisms of action, and application methods (such as drug delivery systems and synergistic effects), aiming to enhance the bioavailability of PEOs. Finally, this review discusses the potential toxicity of PEOs and highlights the need for high-quality studies to systematically evaluate their clinical efficacy and safety in treating fungal infections. By systematically integrating existing research advances, it aims to provide valuable insights for future research directions and promote the widespread application of PEOs in antifungal research.