ESSENTIAL OILS: A REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR FACING THE PANDEMIC

Abstract

Essential oils (EOs) have several biological properties, such as antiviral, antibacterial and antimicrobial, which can act on the virus in order to prevent the invader, such as Sars-CoV-2. The virus contains lipid bilayers that are attacked by many exogenous compounds, for example, essential oils that contain active principles such as phenolic compounds, terpenoids, alkaloids, phenylpropanoids that act on the viral layer. This article aims to gather some scientific evidence, as also computer simulations, called silicio simulation, that points to the use of essential oils to prevent contamination and support the recovery of the health of those infected. The method was based on bibliographic research in journals, especially: 1) PubMed; 2) Capes journals; 3) ResearchGate; 4) BSV Health and 5) DOAJ - period from 2015 to 2021. From the proposed descriptors “essential oils and COVID-19”, 97 articles were obtained, of which 7 were selected in this literature review, according to the proposed methodology. The main EOs with promising results were geranium, lemon, tea tree cajuputi, garlic and eucalyptus, and the appropriate active principles, through computerized molecular coupling studies and an article on the EO of thyme, had a randomized clinical trial. Scientific evidence occurs in 8 countries, with promising results for the prevention and recovery of COVID-19.